I Was Lost 'Til I Heard the Drums
by monchele
Summary: A collection of Finchel/Monchele drabbles - some short, some not so short - posted on Tumblr.
1. you found me

**prompt:** _Finn and Rachel have never met before but live in the same building. They get stuck in an elevator together..._

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><p>Why was he staring at her? Wait, was he <em>checking her out<em>?

Rachel shifted uncomfortably on the dirty, carpeted floor of the elevator. The other man in the elevator - Finn he said his name was - had given up on pressing the emergency button for help and took to staring at her instead. He was making her nervous, and she didn't know why. _Why did I have to wear this dress?_ She thought to herself as she pulled the top of her short black dress up over her cleavage so he couldn't see.

He rolled his eyes down at her. "Chill out. You don't have to curl yourself up in a ball. I'm not gonna hurt you or anything." He said with a small smile. "You gonna tell me your name?"

"No." She said with disgust, and she looked hesitant as he reached his hand out to her to help her up, but she took it, standing up and smoothing out her dress. She crossed her arms over her chest and began tapping her foot on the elevator floor impatiently.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking over at her with concern.

"I don't like elevators!" She snapped, and the tighter she crossed her arms, the more it looked like she was hugging herself. "I'm claustrophobic," she muttered, and that was when Finn noticed she was beginning to breathe heavily.

He frowned at her, reaching into his backpack and pulling out a bottle of water. "Here," he handed it to her. "Have a drink and relax." He placed his hand on her back and coaxed her to sit down on the floor again. He crouched down in front of her.

"Thank you." She offered him a smile and he smiled back. Okay, so maybe he wasn't so bad.

He noticed she was still holding herself tightly around the middle with her tiny arms. He smiled softly, placing his hand over hers and gently pulling it away. "Relax," he murmured, not realising how close he was to her face.

She looked up at him with wide eyes. He was so close that he could count the freckles scattered across his nose. And he was ten times more attractive when he was this close to her. "Y-Yeah, I'll try…" She looked back down again, blushing furiously.

He watched her, his eyes landing on her red lips, and he was totally going to go for it but before he could, the elevator shifted beneath them and began moving. The sudden jerk of movement caused Finn to lose his balance and fall against her so his face was buried in her neck.

Rachel, completely lost in the moment, smiled when she could feel his face heat up against his neck with embarrassment. He pulled away quickly. "Uh, yeah, sorry…" He chuckled nervously, standing up and holding his hand out to her once again when the elevator reached the ground floor.

She let him help her up, not wanting to let go of his hand as they walked out of the elevator together. So she didn't. "It's Rachel, by the way." She giggled with a wink.


	2. love is lost

**prompt:** _Finchel. Upper East Side (Gossip Girl)._

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><p>"Finn! You can't just walk away from me!" She called after him as she tried to keep up with his long strides.<p>

"And why not? I can't _do_ this anymore, Rach! I can't pretend to be somebody I'm not. I have to go. My mom's waiting." He muttered, turning and heading back down the street.

He looked out of the corner of his eye to see her still following him quickly. Didn't she have a limo to catch or something? Before she could say a word, he swiftly turned around and rounded on her.

"Look, I don't belong here. How many times do I have to tell you that? The Upper East Side isn't for me. I'm just a loser. I'm not even from New York!" He threw his hands up in the air.

She shook her head. "You can belong wherever you _want_to belong, Finn!" She insisted, reaching out to grab his hand. He didn't recoil and she held tighter, biting her lip and looking up at him with pleading eyes. "Please don't go," she whispered. "If you go, I may never see you again, Finn…"

She couldn't imagine a world without him. She may have been top bitch, but everything had changed as soon as he came into her life. And she wouldn't have it any other way. She _needed_ him, she had decided a long time ago.

Without saying a word, Finn grabbed Rachel's face between his hands and crushed his lips against hers. She whimpered, standing on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck. His kisses still had the ability to make her weak at the knees. It ended too quickly for her liking though, and as he rested his forehead against hers, her heart was beating loudly in her chest.

"I'm sorry," he choked out in a whisper, "but I have to go." And she felt her heart stop as he walked away from her, leaving her breathless.


	3. you're a lovely soul

**prompt:** _Finn x Rachel: Finn and Rachel meet via the internet and then in person._

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><p>Truth be told, he had wanted to meet her ever since she began rambling on one day about singing and her desire to be on Broadway. And then he saw the blurry picture she sent him of her and her dads, that was when he <em>really<em>want to meet her.

She was stunning and interesting and from the various audio clips she had sent him, she was really, really talented. And she was totally adorable with her broadwaydiva username and uploading videos of her singing every couple of days just for him. Who was he? He was some loser from Lima, Ohio who worked at his step dad's tire shop. He was a nobody, and he was about to meet this girl who was going to want to go home as soon as she saw him.

That's where she was meeting him, the tire shop. She was coming from New York, and she might as well see that he works and can make his own in this ridiculous cow town.

As soon as he heard a car pull up, he stuck his head out of the shop and gulped. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest. He saw her step out of the car and his eyes widened. "Rachel?" He called out without thinking. How attractive did she have to get? _Crap, I didn't get time to change_, he thought, looking down at his stained work uniform.

"Finn?" She asked with a bright smile, hurrying over to him. She bit his lip, he was even more gorgeous in person. She didn't hesitate in pulling him in for a hug. He hugged her back awkwardly, her height was something he would have to get used to. "It's, uh, really nice to finally meet you." She blushed, finally getting a good look at his face.

He brought her inside and gave her a soy latte ('cause he knew she was vegan) he'd been keeping for her. They talked as they both drank their coffees, and it was just so _comfortable_, like they had known each other for years. They smiled and talked and laughed and it felt so right that Finn wasn't surprised when he found they had moved closer to her.

The chuckling stopped abruptly when she too realised that they were only inches apart. "I'm, um…" He let out a quiet laugh, tucking some hair behind her ear nervously.

He wasn't thinking at all when he did what he did next. She should've pushed him away, or slapped him, or yelled at him. But soon, he was kissing her and she was kissing back and the coffees were knocked to the ground, forgotten, as they ended up horizontal on the worn couch. She whispered for him to touch her and he never usually rushed into this sort of stuff but it felt so fucking right he just couldn't _not_ touch her.

And their clothes were off in an instant and Finn didn't even bother closing the door so anyone could've walked in and seen them, even his step dad. The sounds of their lips melding and their bodies connecting in every way possible filled the shop and it was over quickly, but _fuck_, Finn had never more alive in his entire life. The way she said his name set him on fire.

"I have a plane back to New York tonight…" She breathed as she lay against his chest, tracing patterns on his toned stomach. She didn't even ask about what the hell they just did, because she felt that it was right as well. So, so right.

"No you don't," he growled with a smirk as he rolled her over and attacked her with kisses once again. "You have a date with me tonight."


	4. look after you

**prompt:** _Finn/Rachel. Finn and Rachel meet as little kids and are best friends until something intense happens but Finn saves the day!_

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><p>Finn didn't know why he didn't stop hitting Karofsky after the first punch. Actually, yeah he did. That jerk pushed his best friend in the mud. <em>His<em>best friend. He wasn't going to let anyone get away with that. So he pinned him to the ground with ease and began kicking the guy's ass before the teacher pulled him off him.

He stared at his feet as the teacher checked to see if the kid was okay before dragging him away to what he assumed was the principal's office. He stood there awkwardly in the office, only looking up from his shoes when the principal began addressing him.

"Why did you hit David, Finn?" She asked,

"He hurt my best friend." He answered defiantly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm not just going to let him push her around!"

The principal sat back in her chair and frowned at him. "I'll be calling your mother, Finn, to tell her what happened. We'll see what we can do from there. Now, go back outside for the rest of lunch. And try not to have any more fights, okay?" She asked with a sigh, dismissing him from the office.

He ran as fast as his lanky legs could carry him, all the way back to the swings where everything had happened. And then he saw her - covered head to toe in mud, swinging on the swing slowly and staring at her bright pink shoes that were blotched with brown.

"Why haven't you cleaned up yet, Rachel?" He asked her with a sad smile, going to sit on the swing next to hers.

"I was waiting for you." She turned to him with a smile. Even after everything that had happened, she still gave him the brightest smile, which made Finn's stomach twist in knots.

He reached out to take her hand and he gave it a small squeeze. "Are you okay? I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you…"

"You did help me though." She turned to him. "Even though I would never consider violence as an answer to anything, you were there to save me," she said quietly as their hands swung back and forth between them. "Will you always be there, Finn? To save me?"

Finn nodded without hesitation. "Yeah. Yeah, of course, Rach. I'm not going anywhere."

That only made her smile brighter, which gave Finn the biggest of butterflies.

But he was young, and he wouldn't understand the feeling until he was much older.


	5. love and sex and magic

**prompt:** _Finn and Rachel two strangers sitting together in an airplane and they had sex in the bathroom stalls._

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><p>Finn didn't know how he went from across the aisle from this sexy as hell woman in a short-as-fuck skirt that kept slipping up her thigh on a flight to New York to slamming her hard against the airplane bathroom door.<p>

They were just staring at each other out of the corner of their eyes, innocently and harmlessly, but as soon as she got up to use the bathroom and she shook her ass purposely in front of him, he just _had_to follow her. It was like he had lost all self control.

He was broken out of his thoughts by a loud moan as her legs wrapped around his waist and his hand slipped up her thigh and under her skirt. She closed her eyes and threw her head back against the door, not caring at all how much noise she made.

As his lips attached to her neck, she made quick work of his belt and jeans, pulling them down as far as she could and he kicked off the rest. He had never been turned on by someone more in his entire life. She was sexy and seductive and her moans made him painfully hard. She bit his lip at his small gasp as he tore her shirt off. Yes, literally _tore_, it lay on the bathroom floor in half.

She had never been this physically attracted to any man in her entire life. She never did this, with _anyone_. The moment she saw him she knew that teasing him would be fun. So while she was sitting in her seat, she kept running her hands up and down her thighs, her skirt riding up more and more every time until she could basically see him salivating. That was when she made the bathroom move, and predictably, he followed.

She let out a small whimper as he slammed into her, and her moans only kept increasing in volume. Her hands twisted in his hair, pulling on it and biting down on his bare shoulder as their hips thrust against one another.

"Harder." She demanded as a whisper in his ear, sucking possessively at his neck. And he went harder, as hard as he could until she found herself trying to bite back a scream.

It was safe to say both of them came harder than either of them had in their entire life, the feeling of him filling her unlike any other.

When they had finished, they both redressed as far away as they possibly could from each other in the tiny stall, because she knew that if she got close to him again she would _have_to just kiss him senseless. She zipped up her jacket as far as she could (her shirt was useless now) and turned to leave the stall before feeling a hand on her shoulder.

"So you're just going to leave? Just like that? And we're never going to speak again?" He asked her with a raised eyebrow. She knew that neither of them wanted that.

"As far as I know, there are bathrooms in New York too." She whispered seductively with a wink before she left him in the bathroom.

And he still didn't know her name.


	6. forever yours

**prompt:** _Finn proposing to Rachel._

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><p>Palms sweating, knees wobbling, and the sound of <em>I'm forever yours, faithfully<em> growing distant in the background as he lost all sense of reality. He had to do this. Right now. He couldn't wait any longer. It was perfect though, all their family and friends were there for this party - and the only person who knew about the ring was Puckerman, and he knew that he didn't say anything about it.

Before he knew it, he was on one knee in front of her, eyes shifting nervously to the crowd around them before his eyes flickered back to hers. They were wide with surprise, but he could tell she knew what was coming.

So he pulled out the ring. Small, beautiful, bright. Everything Rachel Berry was.

Gasps not only came from her, but from everyone in the room as all eyes were now on a stuttering Finn, who had completely forgotten everything he wanted to say to this perfect girl in front of him.

It all came out in a huge mess of word vomit. "Rachel, I love you. _God_, I _really_ love you. You're the most amazing person I have ever met. You're the reason I am who I am today and- God, babe, if I didn't have you, I would be so lost. You are the most inspirational, talented and beautiful person I have ever seen or met, and I know you're it for me. As soon as you walked into my life, I've never wanted anyone else. We got off track a bit there in high school, but I never stopped loving you, and I never will. And shit, I picked a bad time to start talking so much but Rach, babe," he let out a breath. "Marry me?"

Her eyes immediately welled up with tears and without saying anything, she grabbed his tie, pulling him to his feet and immediately jumping into his arms. Her lips crashed against his and she tugged on his tie with one hand, the other tangling itself in his hair. She whimpered, and she knew she didn't have to think about his jumble of a proposal or how adorable he was when he looked into her eyes.

It was yes. It was always a yes.

"Yes," she whispered against his lips. "Yes, yes and yes." She breathed in between kisses, and Finn chuckled as they leaned their foreheads against one another's. Slipping the ring on Rachel's finger had to be the most amazing thing Finn had ever felt.

They both ignored the crowd of their family and friends around them cheering and clapping. Finn could only focus on his beautiful fiancée in front of him. "Rachel Hudson," he murmured, admiring the way it rolled off his tongue. It would only be a matter of time now.

"I was _always _Rachel Hudson," she whispered. "And I always will be. Forever."


	7. tethered

**prompt:** _Finchel. Finn and Rachel have been best friends since they were young. In high school, Finn has feelings for her and admits them to her when she's in the hospital after she's been in a rather bad car accident._

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><p>Finn gripped the steering wheel tightly, attempting to calm himself down. Why? Why did this happen? Why the fuck didn't that asshole watch where he was going? He slammed his fist against the steering wheel and kicked the door violently until he could feel tears forming in his eyes from not only the pain from his hand, but the pain in his heart.<p>

Normally he wouldn't be able to bring himself to go to the hospital. He hated hospitals, ever since what happened to Burt. It had reminded him of his father and it smelled like blood and death. But he just couldn't stay away, even though he would see her completely broken, her tiny body in that huge hospital bed, _machines_ keeping her alive because she is too weak to function on her own. His _best friend._ But wait, she was more than that, he had decided a long time ago. He loved her. There was no question about it, the girl he was head over heels in love with was close to death and he couldn't take it.

He took a deep breath, running a hand through his already messy hair as he stepped inside the hospital.

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><p><em>"Fiiiiiin!" The six-year-old girl cried out with a giggle as Finn turned around, forgetting the hose was on, and completely soaking the small girl from head to toe.<em>

_Finn put his hand over his mouth, dropping the hose and rushing over to her. "Rach, I'm so sorry!" He said, and he couldn't help but laugh as he saw her white dress with gold stars with a bow was dripping with water._

_"It's okay, Finn!" She smiled brightly up at him. "I'll just go home and get a new dress."_

_"No!" He said, shaking his head furiously. "You can't go, Rach! We haven't finished playing." He frowned and looked down, but suddenly his eyes lit up. "I'll be back in a second." He gave her his side smirk and raced into the house and returning a moment later with a towel._

_She smiled even brighter (if that was possible) as he handed it over to her. "You're so chivalrous, Finn."_

_"Thanks. That's a good thing, right?"_

_She giggled again, placing the overly large towel on her head and began drying her hair. "Wait. You'll ruin your pretty hair." He could feel his cheeks heating up when she looked at him. He took the towel off her and reached up to her hair to begin drying it. She bit her lip shyly and looked up at him with a small smile. When he finished, she leaned up on her toes to give a quick kiss to his cheek._

_That was the first time he felt that swooping feeling in his stomach._

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><p>He made his way to the front desk, asking where Rachel Berry's room was. The nurse behind the desk gave him a grave expression, as if she knew exactly how he felt about her already. No, it wasn't possible. <em>He<em> barely knew what he felt for her.

He stood outside room 205 trying to compose himself, wiping away any tears that had been left behind. His heart was aching and he could help but think - what if this was the last time he'd ever see her? He heard she was in pretty bad shape, she was barely even awake anymore. He felt his heart clench. No. This wouldn't be the end. He loved her and he was going to tell her, no matter what, even if she didn't reciprocate. He just hoped to cheesus that her eyes were open.

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><p><em>"I don't understand what you're so mad about, Finn!" She called out to him as he walked away from her. "What happened? Please, talk to me." Rachel pleaded, catching up with him and placing a hand on his forearm. "Please." Her chocolate eyes looked into his caramel ones, searching for something, <em>anything_ that could tell her what was wrong._

_"Puckerman came to football practice today, bragging that he had kissed some girl." She noticeably cringed and averted her gaze. So it did happen. "Is it true, Rachel?"_

_"Yes," she whispered, unable to lie to him or avoid him any longer._

_"You kissed _Puckerman?_ You gave away your first kiss to Noah Puckerman? He's the biggest player ever, Rachel! Doesn't your first kiss mean a thing to you?"_

_"I like him, okay?" She whispered, tears filling her eyes from her confession and the fact that he was practically screaming at her._

_His face fell and his heart broke as she hurried away from him._

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><p>He remembered that like it was yesterday, and he couldn't believe that at twelve years old he could feel something so strong for her. It was like they were attached by some sort of rope or tether. He could<em>always<em>feel her, wherever he went, whoever she was with, no matter what. And he was so glad that her and Puckerman only dated for a couple of weeks, before he tried to feel her up. He didn't need Rachel's permission to punch the asshole in the face.

He was her best friend after all, and that's what best friends do.

He knocked on the door, no answer. He tried again. Nothing.

He opened the door, slipping into the darkness of the room, without turning on any lights or opening any curtains. He could barely make out her silhouette, but he could hear various beeping sounds and hospital machinery noises coming from around the room. He blindly found the chair next to her bed and sat in it. He couldn't tell whether she was awake or not, so he reached out, tracing his fingers along the blankets until it reached her hand. It was limp. She wasn't awake. And he cried.

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><p><em>"I am <em>so _sorry, Finn!" Rachel choked, sobs ripping through the air, stabbing Finn in the heart. He hated her crying, and she hated how everyone made her cry for their enjoyment. Ever since school had began, people just picked on her every single day. Slushies seemed to be the newest thing to nail people with though. A lot of Finn's favourite dresses of hers were now ruined and stained various colours from slushies. "You were right. Why didn't I listen to you? You were right." _

_She didn't know what upset her more. The fact that her boyfriend broke up with her or the fact that she didn't trust Finn enough to listen to him._

_"I don't want to fight anymore, Finn. Please can we just go back to the way things were?" She pleaded, looking at him through her tears._

_He couldn't help but smile as he looked at her. There was no way he _wasn't _going to forgive her. He was the one who blew up in the first place. And he was glad she wasn't questioning why. He liked her. He_really _liked her. But he couldn't let her know that. It could seriously ruin everything, especially after what had been happening the past couple of weeks. "Things are still perfect, Rach. We just got a little off track." He moved closer to her and began rubbing her back._

_"You mean so much to me, Finn." She whispered, moving closer and clinging to his shirt tightly._

_"I know. You mean the world to me too, Rachel." He whispered back, pressing his lips to her hair, hiding the fact that he was taking in her scent as he kissed her head softly._

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><p>"Rachel, please. Please, please, <em>please.<em> God, just, _please_, wake up. Wake up? For me? Please?" He tried helplessly, calling out her name in the dark. She was awake when they brought her in, why couldn't she wake for him now? His hand closed around hers again, squeezing tightly. "I'm not leaving you, okay? Not until the very end. We promised, remember? We're always going to be with each other._Always._" He choked.

He spent the next two days in the hospital. Various visitors came and went, including her dads, but he never left her side, and he didn't let go of her hand.

"She loved you, you know." Her dads told him on the third day.

No. No no no. She didn't. She _couldn't._ And _loved?_ She wasn't dead, there was no need for past tense… was there? As soon as they left, he broke down again, burying his face in the side of her lifeless body, letting his tears soak into the sheets and his broken and choked sobs fill the room.

Everyone had given up hope.

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><p><em>"Can I ask you something? Hypothetically?" She asked him cautiously as they sat by the pool one day.<em>

_He didn't know what hypothetically meant but still, he gave her a small nod._

_"What if I told you I wanted to be with you? Like a real couple…?"_

_He looked over at her, the sun behind her creating an array of lights and colours behind her, making her look twice as beautiful as she already did in that tiny bikini of hers. Finn had to stop himself from drooling, or fainting. "Uh, I, uh, a couple?" He asked. Truth be told, he wanted it more and more each day, but after everything that happened with Puck, she said she had sworn off boys and was chasing her dreams instead. He knew he would just get in the way. "Well- we-we're just friends, right? Best friends. It'd never happen." He chuckled nervously._

_"Right… Yeah, you're right. It would never happen. It would ruin our friendship." She said quietly with a nod, but when he looked over to her again, she looked sad, like she was about to burst into tears. She bit her lip to hide it, and put her sunglasses back on to cover her eyes._

_Neither of them said a word to each other for a while, and Finn knew they were both thinking about what it would be like._

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><p>One night, he had cried himself to sleep, not even bothering to lift his head off her bed, so he slept there, in the armchair that he had been occupying for a week now. When Finn Hudson made a promise, you'd better be sure he'd keep it.<p>

At first he thought he was dreaming, or there was some sort of bug on him. But he felt the blissful feeling of someone (or some_thing_) stroking his hair. Whatever it was then moved down to his cheek, which was facing up, and began stroking that too. His eyes shot open, and the feeling instantly went away. What the hell was going on? It _must_have been a dream, he thought, lifting his head off the bed when he realised he wouldn't be able to sleep after this.

"Finn?" Whispered a weak voice.

His head whipped around to find himself staring into the beautiful chocolate eyes of the love of his life.

"Fuck." He breathed out, and before anything could really sink in, he was kissing her. His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing along the familiar scar he had been staring at for over a week. He was kissing her and she was kissing back, and when he finally realised that she was _awake_ and _alive_, he breathed her name against her lips and his heart soared when he heard his own name back from her lips.

She pulled away when she ran out of breath, but she kept his face close to hers, searching his eyes, her gaze drilling into his soul. He could feel his heart rate increasing and he was glad he wasn't the one hooked up to the heart rate monitor. "Hi, handsome." She struggled to say, reaching up feebly to run her hand through his hair.

"Shhh," he whispered, gently grabbing her arm and forcing her to lay it back down next to her. He caressed her cheek, revelling in the feeling of her velvety soft skin. Even after her accident, her skin was still exactly how he remembered it. He saw her smile, and he could feel his heart melt right there and then. "You waited, didn't you? You were here the entire time. I knew it. I could feel you." She rasped.

"You could feel me?" He asked with wide eyes.

"Of course. It's like we're tethered, you know? I've always thought that, because…" She started saying, unsure of whether to go on or not. "Because I-"

Finn wasn't about to push her into saying anything she didn't want to. So, instead, he rested his forehead on hers, and he could feel her weak breath on his lips. Even after being in the hospital for over a week, she still smelled delicious, and it intoxicated him.

"It's because I'm in love with you, Finn Hudson."

His jaw dropped, he wasn't expecting that at all.

"Don't look so surprised, Finny." She giggled, reaching up to stroke his cheek just like he was doing to her. "You are beautiful and kind and generous and selfless and you're my best friend. And you're the one who sat by my bedside." She offered a weak shrug. "You're the one, Finn."

"I love you too," he blurted out, feeling an instant weight lift off of his shoulders. "I always have. Always. And I mean it, I might've not known what the feeling was but it was a damn strong one. I sat by your bedside because _I love you too._" He emphasized the last few words, grabbing her hand and squeezing it tightly. "And I'm not-" He sniffed, feeling the tears behind his eyes threatening to break free. Her hand instinctively went to his cheek, ready and waiting. "I'm not leaving until you're better. One hundred percent. That drunk jackass who hit your car is in jail so I don't have to come after him anymore." He joked with a laugh, although he was now crying.

She wiped his tears away as they fell, looking longingly to his eyes. "I love you. So much." She choked through her own tears that were now falling. She hated seeing him cry.

"I love you too." He whispered.

She pulled him down by the neck and kissed him, and as her mouth opened and their tongues met, Finn knew that everything that had happened between them, made this worth it.


	8. belonging part one

**prompt**: _Lea and Cory sit together next to each other on a plane trip between Glee Live venues. Lea falls asleep on Cory. Cory's thought processes._

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><p>He had never really understood their relationship, and neither did anyone else.<p>

One minute, they were co-stars, best friends, brother and sister in some respects. And then there were other times, when she would get that cheeky look in her eye, and she would bite her lip seductively and then she would completely and openly _flirt_ with him.

At first he didn't really know how he felt about it - he knew Lea had a flirty personality in general, so he wasn't sure if it was really directed to him, or she was just trying to be herself. Plus, she had a boyfriend, and the only thing stopping Theo from kicking his ass was the height difference.

Cory didn't know what was going to happen, but he knew, boyfriend or not, that there was_something_ there.

He contemplated this as he relaxed back in what they liked to call the 'Glee jet' on their way to New York City for their next Glee Live concert. They hadn't done many shows so far, but Cory had already gotten used to the change of pace now that they weren't filming the show. As amazing as performing every night to a huge audience of fans was, it was making them all exhausted - and even at times, grumpy.

Lea was always the bubbly, bright and happy one though. And so dedicated. He loved that about her.

Cory glanced over at her out of the corner of his eye, and she was already looking at him - smiling back. One of the best parts about being on tour was the flights, because ever since 2009, Lea and Cory had declared themselves 'plane buddies' and they sat next to each other on every single flight. Even that one time when Cory had to keep using the bathroom because he was sick, she stuck by his side the entire time. She really was the most caring person he had ever met.

She yawned loudly, like she wanted him to know she was tired. No one could see them in the plane, everyone else was all bunched together in their own little groups in other rows, so they were alone.

"Do you mind…?" She asked suddenly, looking at him with wide eyes while pulling a pillow and blanket out from under the seat.

"Not at all." Cory replied quickly, looking out the window as she got ready to take her nap. But before he could say anything else to her, he saw her place her pillow on his lap with a small smirk. She slid over and lay down, gently resting her head on the pillow - in his lap.

He could instantly feel all of his blood rushing south, especially when she giggled, burying her face in the pillow. "I'm sorry but… you look comfortable." She looked up at him and bit her lip.

He blushed a deep red, his heart beating harder and faster in his chest. When he looked down again though, her eyes were closed, and a blissful smile spread across her face. He watched her for a while, until she began making cute sounds, and that's when he knew she was asleep.

He felt a little creepy, just watching her sleep, but she was just _so damn adorable_. Her face was half-buried in the pillow and she was mumbling something almost inaudibly and Cory just wanted to touch her cheek or stroke her hair. She was laying in _his_lap, making adorable noises and practically begging him to do something.

So he did.

Carefully reaching his hand up, he began to caress the soft silk that was her hair. He tried as best he could to not wake her up but he swore he could see a small smile grace her features as she slept. His hand travelled down to her cheek, his knuckles brushing lightly across her smooth skin and then down along her arm. He was about to pull away when he reached her hand but before he could, her fingers curled around his, trapping his hand with hers.

"Mmm Cory…" Lea mumbled with a smile, letting go of his hand to reach out to grab the front of his shirt and snuggle into his stomach. His free hand wrapped around her and began to rub her back. He saw her smile again, nuzzling her nose into his shirt. "Cory, I-" But she was cut off with her own yawn.

"Tell me later, baby." The word baby just falling naturally from his lips. "Tell me later."


	9. belonging part two

**prompt: **_A surprise visit in his hotel room after the first concert in NYC._

* * *

><p>Cory was beyond exhausted, they had worked twice as hard this week to try and make the New York Glee Live concert the best one yet. And it was. Cory would've been lying if he said he didn't get nervous anymore when he came out on stage singing Jessie's Girl (especially when Lea's rendition of DROMP made him weak at the knees). Even after all this time, he still wasn't used to performing live and just overall the overwhelming fame that came with Glee. He loved the fans though, and he was doing it for them.<p>

He had showered quickly and just changed into his sweatpants when he heard a knock at his hotel room door. He raised an eyebrow and looked at the clock – it was past midnight, who would be here at this time?

Opening the door with a yawn, he was surprised to see the tiny brunette on the other side of the door. He looked down at his shirtless form and blushed heavily. He looked up and he could see her noticeably blushing as well as she looked him over. "I-I'm sorry, Cory… I just- can I come in?"

He was still shocked by her arrival so he let her in without thinking. They hadn't really talked since the incident on the plane, and Cory was just too nervous to approach her. It seemed it was the same way with her as well, as she had busied herself with rehearsals to even so much as glance at him.

But now she was _here_, at his hotel room at midnight. What could she possibly want?

He turned around to see her sitting on the bed, swinging her legs back and forth as she looked down at her lap. Was she drunk? He moved over to her cautiously and sat down next to her, giving them both a good amount of space between them. "So, uh, what's going on?"

"I'm sorry." She told him simply, looking back down at her lap again.

"Lea…" He sighed, scooting over closer to her. "You didn't do anything. Nothing happened."

"I almost-" But before she could finish her sentence, she frowned, closing her mouth again almost immediately. She didn't think this could get any more embarrassing.

"You almost what…?" He asked softly, gently urging her to tell him what she was thinking. He hated that they were avoiding each other. He missed her. A hell of a lot more than he probably should.

When she turned back to him again, she was in tears, and Cory's eyes widened. He moved to comfort her but she pulled away, wiping her tears on her sleeve quickly. "No. No, I refuse to get sucked in again." She hiccupped.

"Get sucked into _what?_" Cory asked, exasperated. She wasn't giving him any answers and it was frustrating him.

He didn't know if it was the tone of his voice, or something he said, but she had burst into tears again, and Cory wasted no time in moving as close as he possibly could. "O-On the plane…" She sucked in a heavy breath. "What I was going to say to you that you told me to tell you later? I-I just couldn't believe I almost said that. I am so glad you stopped me, Cor…" She wasn't really making any sense to him, but he continued to rub her back smoothly, hoping to calm her down.

"Well… you're welcome? I guess…" He chuckled weakly, attempting to lighten the mood, and even Lea let out a small giggle that Cory could only smile at.

"I'd still like to hear… whatever it is you wanted to tell me…" Cory shrugged, looking over at her carefully. He wasn't about to force her, but he really was curious.

She sighed, and was silent for a couple of minutes - and Cory opened his mouth, about to say something before she interrupted him.

"I love you."

At first he didn't think he heard it, but he had to double take when it finally sunk in. He looked over at her, eyes wide, but she was still looking down at her lap. The confession was nothing more than a whisper, and part of Cory wished he hadn't even asked. Before he could reply, she had turned to him and jumped on him, pushing him down on the hotel mattress and crashing her lips on his.

And he could do nothing but kiss her back.

His hands trailed around to her lower back, before slipping his hands up and under her shirt. Her skin felt like it was on fire as his fingers danced across her bare back. Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly as she pulled away for breath, eyes wide.

"I-I- oh God, Cory." She rolled off him and tried to stand up, but before she could make it off the bed, he had grabbed her arm, pulling her back down on top of him.

"You can't leave. Not now." He murmured in her ear, pressing a soft kiss to her neck. He was crossing all lines and boundaries and he knew it - but he couldn't help how irresistible she was. _And she just kissed him._ He pulled her up with him to the pillows, where he trapped her prisoner in his arms. She pressed her face into his chest, desperately trying to hold on to everything she was feeling at the moment.

And for the second time, she fell asleep in his arms; blissful, yet conflicted. But she couldn't leave his arms even if she wanted to.


	10. kiss me in the pouring rain

**prompt:** _Finchel, cabin._ (when a simple prompt turns into an entire fic :P). told in ten small parts.

* * *

><p><strong><em>i.<em>**

His mom and Burt mention going away to Burt's lake cabin for the weekend. How come he had never talked about a lake cabin before? He would've totally gone up there for parties and stuff. He loved the lake, it was the closest thing Ohio was going to get to the ocean. It was beautiful during summer. He and Rachel would spend hours soaking up the sun (or making out in the shade) and swimming together and even trying fishing one time. It was the perfect summer and Finn never wanted it to end.

Really, the lake was _theirs._

So he was pretty excited when Burt mentioned going there for the weekend. But the best was yet to come, he and Kurt were actually allowed to invite someone, and Finn was going to do all he could to be able to convince his parents to let Rachel come. Kurt was going to pick Blaine, so why couldn't he take Rachel? It took him a few weeks of agonizing complaining and nagging but _finally_, his parents caved and Rachel was packing up her cute pink suitcase the night before.

* * *

><p><strong><em>ii.<em>**

They picked her up first, at 6am on Saturday morning. She was standing on her front porch in the dark, freezing weather with a huge grin on her face. As soon as Finn stepped to the car, she was in his arms, clinging to him tightly for warmth and excitedly thanking him for inviting her and telling him how fun it will be.

Rachel always secretly loved whenever Burt and Carole invited her somewhere. It always made her feel special - like she was a part of a real family. She loved her dads, but without her mom, she didn't feel the same as she did when she was around her boyfriend and a real, happy family.

They sat in the back seat of his mom's car as Burt drove all of their stuff in his truck behind them. She closed her eyes and made herself more comfortable, leaning her head against Finn's shoulder and looping her arm around his. She pressed a kiss to his shoulder before nestling her face in his neck. "I'm really glad you invited me," she whispered.

"I know, baby," he whispered back, stroking her hair. "I know."

* * *

><p><strong><em>iii.<em>**

A couple of hours later, they reached their destination, and Rachel jumped out of the car straight away to go down to the lake. Finn chuckled and followed after her, biting his lip at the tiny red shorts she had decided to wear. She always did those things to tease him, he knew it.

He sighed as he watched her stare out at the vast expanse of blue water, the sun making the surface sparkle, which made her look even more beautiful against the environment around them. He came up behind her silently, wrapping his arms around her waist. She immediately arched into him and let him press his lips in soft kisses down her neck.

"Fiiiiin," she whined, giggling when he began sucking just below her ear. She closed her eyes and found his arms with her hands, sliding them down and lacing their fingers together. She honestly had no idea how someone could love her as much as he did. It didn't seem possible.

"What?"

"We should help your mom and Burt take our things inside…" She murmured, turning around in his arms with a smirk.

"And what if I don't let you go?" Finn asked, raising his eyebrow with a small smirk. The look in his eyes made her heart melt every single time, so she caved, wrapping her arms around his neck and looking deeply into his eyes.

"I don't know…" She whispered back, slowly leaning up on her toes and brushing her lips against his. "Why don't you show me?"

Finn ran the mailman through his mind a couple of times before kissing her hotly, his arms slipping around her waist once more. Of course they had had many make-out sessions but they had never really been _that_ intimate. Not that Finn was complaining, a simple kiss as much as this one was enough to get him going, and he knew one day, when something did happen, it would be perfect.

But the way she was teasing him was making it hard for him not to rip her clothes off right there.

* * *

><p><strong><em>iv.<em>**

As soon as they had unpacked (after Burt gave them a scolding for making out in the middle of the beach where everyone could see them) Rachel was even more enthusiastic than ever to go to the lake.

"Come on, come on!" She tugged on Finn's hand in an attempt to pull him out of his room. "I want to go swimming!" She pouted like a small child, and Finn couldn't help but smile. "And you are _not_wearing that shirt!"

Finn stepped back when she tugged on his shirt to pull it off. He shook his head furiously. "I always wear a shirt when I go swimming. Now is no different."

She frowned. "Finn…" Rachel murmured quietly, taking a step towards him and running her hands up and down his chest. "I wish you could see you the way I do." She bit her lip with a blush, sliding her hands down to the hem of his shirt. "You're beautiful, Finn. You really are. Inside _and_out." She nodded, trying to reassure him that wearing a shirt wasn't necessary.

He smiled softly, and he swore he could feel tears burning in the back of his eyes. No, he wasn't going to cry in front of his girlfriend. But how could he not? She was perfect and she made _him_feel perfect. "You're the best girlfriend ever," he whispered, letting her slowly slide the shirt off of him.

Once she tossed it to the floor and was satisfied, she smirked, leaning up to kiss him once more. She let out a quiet hum of appreciation when she looked down at his body. "Sexy." She chuckled, moving away from him and shooting him a small wink as she left the room, beckoning for him to follow.

* * *

><p><strong><em>v.<em>**

Finn could never put Rachel's sunscreen on right. Not because he didn't know how, because Rachel made it incredibly difficult for him with all the sounds she made as his hands ran along her smooth skin. It was a cross between moans and hums and sighs and it made Finn's spine tingle.

Her bikinis didn't exactly help the situation either. They were _always_ too tiny for her, and he kept snapping his head around whenever he heard a male voice that could possibly be watching her.

Yeah, he got _really_ possessive when it came to her.

She wanted to go test the water temperature so as she skipped gleefully off down the sand, he grinned, turning around for a second to spread his towel across the sand. When he turned again, he saw red. There was a _guy_ talking to Rachel at the shore. He was blonde and tanned and toned and he clenched his fist. And she was _laughing_. What the hell was that all about?

He was going to march down to the dude and punch him in the face, but he knew that fighting with Rachel over it on this trip would be horrible. So he sat there with a pout until she came back.

"How was the water?" He asked her grumpily.

Rachel noticed his change of mood with a raised eyebrow. "Fine. What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, really?"

"Yep. Nothing."

She rolled her eyes with a small smile, sitting down next to him on his towel. "His name is Jarrad. And he's gay." She chuckled a little, looking over at her boyfriend once more. "So unless you're afraid he's going to run off with Blaine and leave Kurt heartbroken, you have nothing to worry about." She placed her hand on his arm.

Finn mentally kicked himself at his own stupidity. "I'm sorry…"

"It's fine, Finn." She smiled up at him before leaning her head on his shoulder. "You just need to remember I'm yours, okay? _Forever_yours."

He gave her an evil grin, before scooping her up in his arms and throwing her in the lake.

* * *

><p><em><strong>vi.<strong>_

He ended up sunburnt from their afternoon by the water. Well, he supposed he shouldn't complain too much, because Rachel was giving him ten times the amount of kisses she normally did and was currently rubbing some weird gel on his back which soothed the burns.

"I should've reminded you to put more sunscreen on!" She muttered to herself - he hated that she was blaming only herself for this when it was his fault. "God, I'm sorry, Finn. I really am."

"Baby, relax."

"I can't! Look what happened to you?" She bit her lip, he could tell she was stressing out about this. "I hate seeing you hurt, and just look at how red you are! This must be so uncomfortable for you."

"Rachel," he rolled his eyes. "I'm fine. I promise." He smiled slightly, turning to kiss her quickly to try and calm her down.

She nodded a little, dropping the subject. "You know what might help? A shower. And yes, I know what you're thinking." She rolled her eyes playfully at him. "But a shower on your _own_, Finn." She stuck her tongue out at him.

He pouted, a shower with his girlfriend would've been totally better.

* * *

><p><em><strong>vii.<strong>_

They had a big family breakfast the next morning, and Finn, who a few days ago wouldn't even take his shirt off to go to bed, had now taken a 'shirtless for the rest of the vacation' vow from Rachel. Plus his sunburn was more irritated when he wore something over it. She seemed satisfied with herself at this arrangement as she rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand under the table.

"So, we're going shopping today," Carole announced and Finn and Burt groaned. "Yes, Finn, we all know you won't be joining us," his mother teased him with a smile. "But Burt, you're coming, you need beach clothes." Everyone at the table laughed. "Rachel, honey? Will you be joining us?"

She glanced over at Finn, and he had a small cheeky smile on his face. If Burt, Carole, Blaine and Kurt all went shopping, that would give them time alone - and Finn knew that. "Um, no thank you, Carole. I think someone needs to be here to watch Finn so he doesn't hurt himself."

If she had said it about anyone else, it would have been a pretty poor excuse, but it _was_Finn, and really, he probably could hurt himself if he was alone. Especially out near the woods like they were.

Carole didn't seem to suspect a thing though. "Alright, sweetie. Let me know if you change your mind." She nodded, trying to hide her triumphant smile as Kurt began clearing away the plates.

* * *

><p><strong><em>viii.<em>**

"So what did you want to do today?" Finn asked lazily as she lay in his arms on the couch after everyone had left. He had convinced her to wear only her bikini around the house for the day, so his fingers now trailed up her bare side, making her shiver.

She placed a kiss against his chest before looking up at him. "Hmm, I'm not sure. I mean, maybe we should stay inside because of your sunburn. Speaking of which, how is it?" She asked with a sympathetic smile.

"It's fine, babe. You really need to learn to not worry so much. Those million creams you put on my back made it feel a little better."

"You're welcome then." She smirked, before crawling up his chest a little to capture his lips in hers.

The kiss became deep and passionate without either of them realising and Rachel only pulled away for air. She swung her leg over him so she was half-straddling him and Finn could feel his swim shorts tighten a little. And he even let out a quiet groan when she ground her hips down on his a little with a smirk. What did she think she was doing? God, she was going to kill him.

"You love me, right?" She asked in a whisper, looking deep into his eyes.

He was baffled. Was she really asking him that. "Of course I do, Rach. More than I've ever loved anyone."

"O-Okay…" She said with a shaky breath. She seemed nervous, and Finn was confused as to why. "Then c-can you…" She swallowed heavily, unable to finish her sentence.

"What is it?" Now she was starting to worry him.

"C-can you… you know… touch me?" She flushed a deep red and bit her lower lip shyly.

"I-I- you-" Finn's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't be serious.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, Finn… I just thought you'd like to. I'm sorry, it was a stupid idea." She shook her head, hanging her head in shame.

"No!" He shook his head vigorously. "No, no. I-I want to." He blushed an equally red shade as she looked up at him with a smile.

"Then do it…" She breathed against his lips, grabbing his hand and guiding it down towards her bikini bottoms. He couldn't breathe as he shakily slipped them down and pressed his thumb to where she was now aching for him.

They both came at the same time, him harder than he ever had in his entire life.

* * *

><p><strong><em>ix.<em>**

Rachel didn't know what had possessed her to let Finn touch her - oh wait, she did. She was in love with him, and she wasn't going to let anyone else ever do those things to her. She really believed that he was it for her, but she was scared at what would happen after graduation. But she wouldn't think about that now. She had more than half a year with her incredible man.

She waited until the entire household had retired to their respective rooms to go to sleep, and when the cabin was dark and silent, she crept down the creaky wooden floor to her boyfriend's room. He was already asleep, snoring quite loudly when she entered his room.

She tried shaking him. He didn't wake.

She tried again. Nothing.

Rolling her eyes, she reached around her body, unhooking the bra she was wearing and dropping it to the floor before sliding off her panties. Slowly and carefully, she climbed on top of him, knowing he was going to wake as soon as he figured out what was going on.

The look on his face was beyond priceless.

"Fuck," he breathed as he marvelled the beautiful naked girl that was now on top of him.

"Uh uh!" She scolded. "Language, Finn." She smirked, pressing her chest against his and moaning quietly under her breath at the fire the friction made shoot through both of their bodies. "Or you won't be getting any of this…" She breathed against his lips before getting off of him, making sure to shake her ass a little as she walked out of his bedroom door.

She knew she shouldn't. Kurt or Blaine or even _his parents _could come out to get a glass of water and see her completely naked, but she knew Finn would follow him. And he did.

She led him outside and down towards the water, which was illuminated by the moonlight. Once he reached her, still in a daze as he watched her bare body move in the darkness, she kissed him hard on the mouth. He could've sworn he felt his heart stop.

"Come on, Finn…" She breathed. "Have some fun with me."

He had no idea what she really meant until she almost ripped his pyjama bottoms off his body and threw them to the sand. As he stood now fully naked in front of her, her breath became short. He seemed to be staring at her exactly the same way. "You're beautiful, Rachel. Fucking beautiful." He murmured, reaching up to stroke her cheek.

She was silent, his eyes never leaving hers as she took his hand and dragged him towards the water. Wait… she dragged him out of bed in the middle of the night so they could go skinny dipping? She really was the best girlfriend ever. As soon as he was waist deep in the cool water, she began swimming backwards away from him, but still beckoning for him to come to her.

So he swam towards her, wrapping his arms around her and locking their lips together in another passionate embrace.

Finn touched her, but nothing more. They just held each other in the water as the soft waves rolled over them with their foreheads pressed together, as if there was nothing in the world but them.

* * *

><p><strong><em>x.<em>**

She fell asleep laying across his lap in the back of the car on the way home. He knew she was exhausted from the night before, and when his mom asked, he told her it was just because the weekend wore her out. She seemed to believe it, which was good enough for Finn.

She woke just as Burt turned into her street, and she stretched and yawned, staring up at her boyfriend with a huge smile on her face. When the car stopped, she winked, sitting up and pressing quite a long and lingering kiss to his lips in front of everyone.

She really was going to be the death of him one day.

He told her he could possibly come see her later, and she winked again and told him her dads wouldn't be home. Finn smirked, he was stupid to think that things would just go back to normal when they got back from the incredible weekend they had.

After all, the lake was _theirs._ And he was going to be taking Rachel up their _plenty_more times in the future.


	11. everything

_When Finn struggles for words, he ends up saying all the right things._

* * *

><p>"Where are you taking me, Finn?" Rachel whined as she sat, her arms crossed in the passenger side of his truck.<p>

It was Christmas Eve, and although she was Jewish and she loved spending time with Finn, she just wanted to spend a quiet night at home, rehearsing some of her favourite Barbra songs for her dads. He had come to her door, unannounced, blindfolded her, and took her into his truck without a word. He did have his signature smirk on his face though, which made Rachel think he was up to something no good.

And he might have been, especially after what he got in the mail this morning.

So she sat with an adorable pout on her face as Finn's truck ploughed through the snow towards a very familiar place.

When the truck finally stopped, he stepped out, helping her out of the passenger's side by taking her glove-covered hand in his.

"Finn, I demand to know where we are right this minute!" She said crossly to him, authority lacing her tone.

"Come on, babe," was all he replied wit as he lead her along the uneven, snow covered road and she could basically see the crooked grin on his face that she loved so much. When they finally reached their destination, Finn squeezed her hand a little and told her she could take the blindfold off. He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist as she slid the cloth off of her head.

Tears filled her eyes as soon as she took in the sight before her. No. No, he couldn't have possibly brought her here. Why would he do that? His arm tightened around her as a sob escaped from her. He knew. He knew bringing her here would upset her and yet he did it anyway. What was he thinking?

"Baby, it's okay." Finn whispered to her as she stared down the road into exactly the same place they were this time last year – the tree lot. The tree lot where he "officially" broke up with her.

"Why are you doing this?" She whispered through her tears. "Are you trying to torture me? I went through _hell _that night,Finn Hudson, and you have the nerve to bring me back here?" She choked on the last couple of words, burying her head in her hands and stepping away from him.

"Please…"

"No, don't _please _me, Finn. Give me your keys, I'm leaving."

"You don't know how to drive my truck, Rachel," he said with a small frown.

"Finn –"

Finn sighed, turning towards her and grabbing her arm gently as she began turning away from him. "Rach, I brought you here for a reason. I knew it might upset you but there really is a real reason if you just _listen_." He insisted. His expression turned soft as he looked into her eyes deeply. "Please. Just listen."

"Okay," she whispered, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

He took her hand again, squeezing it tightly and leading her further into the lot. Rachel bit her lip to try and hold back her tears when she walked past the Christmas trees, the memories from last year flooding back.

She would've loved it if they weren't fighting about what had happened with Santana. They had sung together, something she always loved doing and wanted to do with him at every given opportunity. Things had even seemed fine, he was letting her cuddle up to him and she was basically holding on to dear life, like he would disappear if she let go. She realised she was holding on to him the same way right now, her arm looped through his and her head resting on his arm. The difference was this time he didn't pull away. Instead he was holding on to her equally as tightly.

"I brought you back here because I was thinking about our break-up, and all the time we spent apart." She held on to him tighter. She hated hearing about their break-up, even if they were happier than ever now. "And I realised that I love _everything _about our relationship." She looked up at him in awe as she spoke. "Even the time we had apart. I mean, look how strong we are now." Finn chuckled and Rachel could feel her heart rate speeding up.

They had reached the rows and rows of Christmas trees and they walked down one, Rachel's feet sinking into the thin layer of snow on the ground. He stopped walking when they reached an intersection, and Christmas lights were fading on and off above them. He turned to face her.

"What I'm really trying to say is I don't care about all the bad stuff. I mean, I do, because we'd grown up so much in that time, y'know? But not anymore," he told her, reaching out with both of his hands to grab hers. "You're everything, Rachel. And-and I know things haven't been completely perfect between us since we got back together but God, I wanna marry you someday and start a family with you and make _all _of your dreams come true. I wanna be that guy, Rach."

"You will be," she whispered without hesitation, tears pouring down her face for a completely different reason this time. "You _are._" She smiled through her tears with a small laugh. "Finn, I am going to marry you." She nodded, blushing a little at her confession. Sure, they had talked casually about children, but never really about marriage. Especially since they knew nothing about New York or what was happening with his future just yet. "But wait… why the sudden change? I mean, you never talk about our family or children unless _I _bring it up first. It's like you've never wanted to talk about it before." She looked down at her shoes, kicking some of the snow out of her way as she stood there.

He took her hands again and stared down, deeply into her eyes as she looked back up into his again. "Because I love you. And I want to live in New York and I want to be there front and centre on every opening night and I want a little girl that has your _everything_ so I can have two beautiful girls to love and cherish forever."

Rachel didn't know what to say, she was basically speechless. Only Finn had the ability to do that. She stared at him in awe once again as she struggled to find the right words to say to him. Talking about things so specific like a _daughter_ made Rachel's heart melt. How is it that she had found the perfect boy she was going to spend the rest of her life loving?

"But…there is one tiny thing…" Finn said slowly, and his expression suddenly turned to one of shame. Rachel looked at him curiously as he continued to speak. "I didn't get into NYADA…"

They had been applying for colleges for _months_ now and Rachel had made Finn apply to NYADA, even though he had applied to a couple of colleges in Ohio and some even out of state. She believed in him and she knew he was talented.

Finn gave her a small shrug before frowning.

"Finn… that-that's okay… you know not e-everyone's going to make it," she stuttered, trying to stay calm and not show how devastated she was. He wasn't going to New York to go to college with her. They would have to wait four years to really _be _together. They were going to have to do long distance and she knew both of them hated the idea of that. Tears began falling down her face at the thought of it.

Too bad she didn't know what else he applied to.

"Baby, don't cry!" he said suddenly, obviously shocked at what was happening, he moved to her and wrapped his arms around her tiny frame. He held her there for a minute, before a soft smile appeared on his face when he pulled away from her. "But… I did get into NYU." He said quietly and anxiously as he waited for her reaction.

She stood there in silence for a few seconds, like the news wasn't able to sink in to her brain. She stood there with a furrowed brow and a confused expression on her face before her eyes completely lit up. The last thing Finn heard was a loud squeal before she almost tackled him to the ground in a hug. She wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him tightly, tears of complete joy now streaming down her face. She peppered his face with kisses before taking his lips in hers for a long, passionate kiss. "Finn! This is amazing!" She cried out, wrapping her arms around him again and hugging him tightly.

Her face fell for a second though when she pulled away and looked shyly into his eyes. "You are… accepting it, right? Like… you want to go to NYU…?" She asked, looking up at him.

A huge grin broke out on his face. "Of course, Rach! It's the best acceptance letter of the lot – it's the best school… and I can be with you." He smiled, moving one of his hands up to gently caress her cheek. "Babe, _you _are my dream… and I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

"Oh, Finn," she whispered, burying her face in his neck to try and stop the tears from flowing down her face. "I am so glad you brought me here," she said quietly, followed by a small giggle. "We're finally moving forward, and… we're finally going to be together, and we finally have _plans_ together for the future and now when I say I'm going to New York, I can say I'm going with my wonderful, amazing boyfriend." She bit her lip, kissing his neck quickly before pulling away to look at him.

"I told you, Rach, its simple really. You _are _my future. You're everything."

She attacked him with kisses until she was breathless.


	12. secret meetings

**A/N:** this is actually something I wrote for one of my RP's, and yes, Finn is going to propose to Rachel. :)

* * *

><p>Finn wiped the palms of his hands on his pants for what felt like the fiftieth time that night already. He was sweating so badly from nerves; you wouldn't even be able to tell that it was freezing outside. <em>This isn't a good idea;<em> he thought to himself, _we're too young; they'll never go for this._ He sighed heavily, standing outside the front door of the Berry household for around twenty minutes, debating with himself whether he should knock or not. He knew Rachel wasn't there – she had a late dance class, but it was her dads he was there to talk to anyway. A thought struck him, maybe he should've called ahead, but this might be the only time he gets to actually speak to them alone without Rachel knowing. He's hoping more than anything that they let him do this.

He finally mustered up the courage to knock on the door, and they answered almost straight away, like they already knew he was there and had been watching him for the past half hour. They invite him inside the house with a smile. Well, they seemed to be in a good mood – maybe this might work. They already knew about the plans to take Rachel to New York for her birthday. They actually even offered to pay for some of the cost of the plane ticket.

Her dad's led her to the kitchen table, where they sat across from him and he fiddled with his thumbs in his lap, trying to calm himself down. He just had to plead his case to them – it couldn't seriously be that hard, right?

"I'm sorry for bothering you both so late, Mr. and Mr. Berry-"

"Finn, you know by now that you can call us Hiram and Leroy." Leroy told him with a kind smile. "And it's perfectly okay. I'm assuming this has something to do with your plans for our daughter's birthday?"

The way he said 'our daughter' made it sounds like they were three times more protective of her than usual, and that made Finn's stomach churn. "Y-Yeah, I am here to talk about that…" He took a deep breath before continuing. "As you know, I'm planning to take her to New York…" He looked up into their eyes. They didn't seem as surprised as they had been when he first told them over the phone – so maybe they had discussed it. The only reason they were letting her go alone with him was because she was going to be legally an adult, otherwise they would have forbidden it. Especially after they caught them together on the couch that one time. "I've already got a reservation at Sardi's booked for her birthday night and I'm planning to get tickets for Wicked for afterwards…" He continued, still speaking slowly just in case there was something they missed.

He smiled a little to himself though, the plan sounded perfect for Rachel. He was actually quite proud of it. He looked up at her fathers who nodded at him to continue. His heart was pounding by this point though – and if this is what asking her fathers was going to be like, imagine what it would be like asking _her_.

"And you know that Rachel and I have known each other for two years… and we've been together for a lot of that time." The time they had spent apart was the last thing he wanted to be thinking about right now. "And as you know, I love her very much. More than anything, really." He chuckled nervously. "I know she's the one for me, Mr. and Mr. Berry," he said quietly, ignoring the looks they gave him for not calling them by their first names. "I-I want to spend the rest of my life with her." He nodded, finally looking back up at them again. He couldn't read the expression on their faces so he just continued. "I want to marry your daughter, Mr. and Mr. Berry."

"Now, wait a minute, young man-"

"Stop, Leroy, let him speak." Hiram insisted, placing a hand on his arm.

Finn had almost frozen in shock at Rachel's dad's outburst. Why was he doing this? He knew it was going to be a disaster from the very beginning! "I know we're young, and I know getting married is a huge deal but honestly, there is no guy out there who's going to love her or support her more than I do." He said with a small shrug. He knew it was the truth. "Don't you want her to be able to marry the guy who's never gonna hurt her or leave her? I am _in love _with your daughter, don't you see that? I even plan on possibly following her to New York one day so I can watch all of her dreams come true and so I can be by her side. I just want to be with her forever. I wanted to propose to her at New York – 'cause that's where I always planned on proposing to her, you know? In the city of her dreams."

"You want to propose to her _now_?" Leroy asked him with a raised eyebrow. "Why now? You know she's not going to settle down until she's been on Broadway and won a few Tony's! You need to understand that this isn't all about you. When you're in a committed relationship there's another person to think about!"

"Leroy," warned Hiram, placing a hand up to silence him. He was silent for a few seconds before he spoke again, and that only made Finn increasingly nervous. "I think… I think you're right, Finn. I think that there's no one who is going to be more loving or supportive of Rachel. And… I will talk to Leroy about it. But I think you should be allowed to do this. You are going to be legal adults and we won't have much control over you anymore. You should do what you think is best. You have my blessing at least." He smiled at him. "On one condition though."

Of course, there was always a condition. He nodded though; his heart rate was beginning to speed up. He actually had the blessing of one of her dads!

"You have to wait until _she's _ready to get married. Even if it's after college, after Broadway and after Tony's – you will wait until she says she is ready to get married without pressuring her in any way." Hiram told him with a nod.

Wow, that was a better deal than he expected. _Shit._ Was he allowed to ask Rachel to marry him now or?

"Deal, Mr. Berry!" Finn said, jumping up excitedly, almost knocking over the chair in the process. "Thank you, you won't regret letting me do this, I promise." He smiled.

"It's _Hiram_, Finn. And you're welcome. We can talk about this more later. After I've talked some sense into Leroy over here," he chuckled.

Finn nodded again, giving them a small wave before exiting the house. As soon as he shut the front door behind him, he pumped his fist in the air victoriously. _He was going to marry Rachel Berry… if she says yes, that is._

"Finn, what are you doing here?" came a familiar voice from behind where he was doing his little victory dance.

He turned around, wide-eyed, coming face to face with his girlfriend. He swallowed hard. "Uh, nothing! I just came over to tell you how much I love you. But then I remembered you had dance! So… yeah, I should probably get going, mom's waiting with dinner." That was probably the most ridiculous lie he had ever told, but he could trust her dads to keep the secret.

She raised her eyebrow at him, obviously not believing a word of what he was telling her.

"Oh!" He turned back towards her to pull her body against his in a big hug. When he pulled away he leaned down and captured her lips in a searing kiss. "I just really love you, okay?" He whispered breathlessly, before giving her a small wave. He got into his truck and drove away, leaving a very confused girlfriend standing on the front porch.

He arrived home and without saying a word to his mom, Burt or Kurt, made his way upstairs and pulled the shoebox out from under his bed. He knew sometimes people (mostly Kurt and his mom) liked to go snooping in his room, so he knew they wouldn't bother with a dusty old shoebox, especially when they have no idea what else is under that bed of his. He pulled the ring box out and squeezed it tightly in his hand with a smile. He had gotten what he thought was the perfect engagement ring for Rachel online (before deleting his internet history so Kurt wouldn't find out). It had come in the mail the day before and he had to intercept the mailman on the way to his letterbox so no one knew that a package had come for him.

Also in the box were the plane tickets to New York and the phone number for the hotel he had booked for them to stay at. He couldn't get the fanciest hotel in the city as well as buying an engagement ring, tickets for Wicked and a reservation at Sardi's. Even with Rachel's dads generously paying for their plane tickets it was still a lot of money to spend.

He hoped his mom doesn't ask about the money – because he hasn't spoken to either her or Burt about this yet.

So he had booked a cheaper one room hotel for a few nights, not that they'd really be spending much time in there other than sleeping, considering he had a full agenda booked for her birthday night. He smiled as he pulled the ring out of the box and examined it, imagining what it was going to look like on her finger as his _fiancée._ But still, he couldn't get his hopes up just yet, she still had to say yes.


	13. we all want the same thing

**prompt by:** Shelby (_mslea-monteith_ on Tumblr)

_Finn, Rachel, their daughter and a touch of déjà vu, told in six parts._

* * *

><p><em><strong>i.<strong>_

She didn't want to think about it anymore. The constant bullying, the name-calling, the various foods and beverages thrown in her face. She didn't want to have to deal with the constant bullying about the way she looked or thought. _If only they heard her sing_, she thought angrily to herself, _and then they might change their minds._ She doubted it though; they didn't even have anything to do with singing in the performing arts department. The closest thing was the school musical, but only the seniors really got the main leads for that.

But still, despite her attitude towards everything, she still hummed happily to a Broadway tune as she made her way home from school. She lived in New York City, where they embraced the arts. They lived and breathed it, really. And with the household she grew up in with her parents, music was always going to be a big part of her life. She knew it would be tough to get a break though. She was a performer, a singer, an artist. Sure, her dancing could use some work, and that was what was probably going to hold her back until she did better in lessons. She had the voice of her mother, but the two left feet of her father, unfortunately. She loved both her parents dearly though. They didn't know about the bullying though – and Brooke Hudson didn't plan on telling them any time soon.

She could hear her parent's voices in their bedroom as soon as Brooke walked in the front door. Her father was the first to emerge when he heard the door slam. He smiled as she came to give her dad a hug. Her mother came out soon after, asking her how her day was. She lied casually, as she usually did, saying it was fine and they didn't do much in class. She hated lying like this, but she didn't know how exactly they could fix it – and she hated it when her mother worried.

Brooke could see her parents were busy, her mom helping her father get ready for an important business meeting.

"I think I'm just going to take a nap," she told them, before hurrying off to her room, jumping on her bed and silently crying her eyes out until she was out of tears.

* * *

><p><em><strong>ii.<strong>_

She was so much like her mother, her father would tell her. She was organised, punctual, bubbly, enthusiastic (though lately she felt that determination spark leave her), but still, she had not one friend. Her mother told her not to worry about it, because that's how it was during high school. But Brooke could tell her mother felt sorry for her, because she wasn't a part of any clubs so there was really no way for her to make any friends. But neither of her parents pushed the issue – because they both knew what it was like. Brooke kind of really appreciated her parents for that.

Boys didn't like her either, and that was something she got from her mother that she wasn't so thankful for.

She had her mother's nose, which she embraced growing up under the Jewish faith, and she had accepted by now that she wasn't the tall, typical blonde beauty that guys usually wanted. Her mother told her to embrace who she was, but she had been turned down many roles because of her ethnic look, and Brooke didn't want to end up the same. She was only fifteen though; she had time for boys after her dreams had come true.

"Daddy…" She started the next night while they were all sitting down eating a vegan pasta dish her mother had made for them. "How did you and mom meet?"

Her parents shared a knowing smile before turning their attention back to their daughter. "In high school," Rachel told her, turning towards her husband again with a warm smile. "He was the quarterback and I was the captain in the school's Glee Club. He had never spoken to me before he joined." She giggled quietly at the memory.

Brooke was surprised she had never asked about this before – because he had heard from her uncle Kurt that their story was very romantic – and Brooke was really into the romance herself. She loved her parent's relationship. It was like they never seemed to fight, and when they did, they made up almost straight away. She could tell how much they really loved each other.

"I don't know… we just sort of, fell in love." Rachel smiled, taking her husband's hand that was resting on the table. "He had a girlfriend at the time though, so it wasn't exactly ideal. But then he told me he loved me for the first time, and things just went from there." She squeezed his hand.

"We were together for all of senior year before I got accepted into college here in the city – and my choice to move out here with your mother was pretty clear. I proposed to her at her college graduation and we were married a year later." Finn shrugged, like it wasn't really a big deal at all.

Brooke smiled at her parents. She wanted a story like that – a boy that's just going to come along one day and fall in love with her. For everything that she is. But she knew that was never going to happen. People just didn't like her.

Rachel frowned, as if she was reading her daughter's mind. "Brooke, you'll find someone. You're still young. Just because your dad and I met when I was your age, it doesn't mean you need to find a person right away too. It was just luck that we found each other." She smiled over at Finn again and he was already smiling back.

"Yeah," was all she replied with before picking up her bowl and placing it in the sink in the kitchen.

She spent that night crying her eyes out too.

* * *

><p><em><strong>iii.<strong>_

Rachel had just come back from rehearsals for the brand new show she had just landed the lead for. The show was a little intense, so the rehearsals were long, hard and tiring. It took up a lot of time from her family, which she hated, but the show had real potential, and she was very enthusiastic and excited about that. Finn was used to her coming home late most nights and being completely exhausted from the show – but he supported her one hundred percent – just like he always had in high school.

Marrying Finn was probably the best decision of her entire life. She didn't know where she would be without him by her side. He knew his job as a teacher kept him busy as well – but he _always_ seemed to find time for her, even when he was exhausted. He really was the best husband ever.

She smiled softly to herself at the thought as she let herself through the front door of their house. She dropped her keys and bag on the table as she went to the bathroom to wash her face. While she was in there, the phone rang and she checked the clock. It was only around one in the afternoon, who would be calling her at this time? She frowned curiously and moved over towards the phone, answering it.

"Is this Mrs. Hudson?" The voice on the other end asked her and she nodded, but then realised they wouldn't be able to see that.

"Yes, it is… May I ask who is calling?" Rachel inquired, the frown still remaining on her face.

"This is your daughter's principal… there's been an incident at school. I suggest you come quickly."

* * *

><p><em><strong>iv.<strong>_

"I'm a _terrible _parent!" She sobbed into Finn's chest, gripping the front of his shirt tightly as her hands made small fists.

Finn didn't understand why she was so upset and beating herself up over this – _none _of them would have been able to guess this was going on. Brooke had never really been one to open up to anyone about things – she was like Finn in that sense.

"I knew it, okay? I knew it when I was pregnant with her that I couldn't do this and I would be the worst parent ever but you didn't listen to me! You told me I'd be great but I'm not. I'm _terrible;_ you should turn me over to child protection or something." She cried.

"Rach, calm down. You are not a terrible parent, okay? Trust me. You're an _amazing_ parent-"

"I'm not, okay Finn? I let this happen. I didn't become enough involved in our daughter's life to find out she was being _bullied_! She should be able to talk to me about this; I went through the same thing!" She cried into his chest as he rubbed his hands up and down her back soothingly. "Just… I wish I could've done something to help her. I know what she's going through! I've been through it all before," she said, but her words were muffled by her face pressed into his shirt.

"I love you. And you're a wonderful parent. Nothing anyone says or does can change that." Finn reassured her, kissing the top of her head softly. "And it'll be okay. We know what's happening now so we can fix it. I _promise _we'll fix it." He continued to rub his hands down her back slowly, holding her tightly against his chest.

"Okay," she sniffed weakly, loosening her grip on his shirt. She would never fail to feel safe and protected in his strong embrace. She let her eyes fall closed, pressing a kiss to his chest and breathing in his scent as he stood there holding her. "Okay… I'll go talk to her." She reluctantly moved away from her husband, wiping her eyes and leaving their bedroom and heading over towards Brooke's.

"Brooke? Honey, are you in here?" Rachel asked, wiping her eyes again, even though she knew it wouldn't make any difference.

"Yeah," came a dull voice from the other side of the door.

Rachel opened the door slowly, peeking through to see her daughter curled up on the bed facing away from her. She didn't really know what to say though, so she moved to sit next to her on the bed, running her hand up and down her daughter's arm.

"I'm sorry, mom…" Brooke said, but she buried her face in her pillow before she could say anything else.

"It's okay," she whispered back, biting her lip to stop any more tears from falling. She knew what it was like, she knew what Brooke was going through. She had been through it all before. Everything her principal had described to Rachel was everything that used to happen to her before she joined Glee Club and they began winning competitions and she made some friends. She even suggested a Glee Club be formed, for people like her who loved to sing, but even her principal said there wouldn't be any teachers willing to run such a club.

"I know I should've told you. It's just-"

"You didn't feel like you could? You didn't think anyone would understand or care?" Rachel asked with a slight smile. "Do you want me to tell you a story?"

It took her a few seconds, but Brooke turned around to lay on her back, staring up at her mother with curious eyes.

"When I was in high school, around your age, I used to get slushied all the time. Well, most people in the school who were considered 'uncool' were slushied. Like us in the Glee Club." She rolled her eyes at the memory. Though she missed her friends a lot of the time, Rachel did not miss those slushies one bit. "And one day, one of the Neanderthals from the hockey team was coming down the hallway with a slushie, and of course I was prepared because I was their usual target." She rolled her eyes again dramatically. "But the slushie didn't touch me, because this brave boy basically leapt in front of me and took the slushie for me." She smiled softly at the thought. "That boy's name was Finn Hudson, and now he is my husband." She shrugged a little.

Brooke couldn't help but smile. "When was that?"

"When we first started dating in junior year." She let out a sigh. "What I'm really trying to say is… Not everyone is bad. And you know what? I _never _let anyone who slushied me actually get to me. I always focused on my dreams and goals and look where I am. Broadway, baby." She teased with a chuckle. "There are people out there just like you, Brooke, and if you just put yourself out there, then really, I think you'll find some people that really surprise you."

Brooke frowned. "Yeah?"

Rachel nodded at her daughter. "Yeah," she repeated softly. "What I've always believed is that… you have _plenty_ of times for friends and boys in the future, but Broadway was always my dream, and I never let anything get in the way of that. And now I have a husband, friends, an amazing daughter and I'm doing what I love every single day." She took her daughter's hands. "All I'm trying to say is if you want to follow your dreams, maybe you should put a hold on trying to fit in." She shrugged. "Wherever you end up - the music business or the musical theatre business - you'll find friends, and you will most definitely fit in. I promise."

Brooke sat up on the bed, resting against the headboard with a sigh. It seemed like far too much to have to go through at her age. But at least she had a taste of how cruel things could be. And her mom had been through it all before, right? So she could definitely get through it too, the same way she had. Her mom really was her biggest inspiration - how _couldn't_ she be? Against all odds, and against everyone telling her otherwise, she left her home town in Ohio and made her dreams come true. She also married the love of her life along the way. If her mother could do it, she could too.

* * *

><p><em><strong>v.<strong>_

Brooke went to school the next day with her head held high, not even cringing in fear as the football players brushed passed her with iced drinks in their hands. She was going to do this, and she wasn't going to be afraid anymore. She could feel that spark coming back.

Too bad the students at Brooke's school could break her in more ways than one.

The next thing she felt was something strong hit her in the stomach and she went flying back into the lockers behind her before falling to the floor. She looked up to see one of the burlier football players chuckling to himself and high-fiving another one of his friends. She knew she should have said something, or done something. She knew she promised herself she wasn't going to be pushed around by anyone anymore. But she just wasn't strong enough for that. Not yet.

"Hey, are you okay?" An unfamiliar voice broke her out of her thoughts.

She looked up again to see the football players disappearing down the hallway and instead a blue-eyed boy with messy fair hair was standing in their place.

He raised an eyebrow when she didn't respond, holding his hand out to her to help her up.

She took it hesitantly, standing to her feet and looking into the taller boy's eyes. "Uh, thanks." She hadn't even seen this boy around before, but then again, she didn't really notice anyone at the school because not many people seemed to notice her.

He had this adorable crooked smile on his face that made Brooke lose her train of thought for a second. "You sure you're okay? I'm David." He chuckled at how cliché the situation seemed to be, but still, he held out his hand for her to shake.

"Brooke." She still found herself a little nervous, and she didn't know why. But she returned his handshake. Who was this kid? Was he going to steal something from her? And why had she never seen him around before?

"Well _Brooke_, it's nice to meet you. And look, uh, just tell me if they bother you again, alright?"

It was only then that Brooke raised her eyebrow in surprise. "Really?"

"Mhm, sure. Just let me know." He shot her another crooked smile before turning and walking down the hallway, leaving Brooke even more confused than she was before.

* * *

><p><em><strong>vi.<strong>_

_One month later._

"The advantage of having a daughter going out on a date is also having this," Rachel sighed, snuggling closer into her husband's arms. They had been cuddling on the couch with the TV playing as background noise for the last hour. They hadn't had time like this in such a long time – even when they went on their last trip alone together when Brooke was ten, all Rachel did was worry about her the entire time. "This is nice," she sighed again, pulling the blanket over them again as Finn wrapped his arm around her.

"Sure is," he mumbled, leaning down to kiss her neck softly. Rachel tilted her head to allow him more access as she let her eyes fall closed.

"I love you," she whispered, fisting her hands in his shirt in an attempt to get even closer to him.

"I love you too. And stop worrying about Brooke like I know you are." He said with a quiet chuckle. "David's a good guy."

Rachel raised her eyebrow at him. "So he has your approval then?" She teased, kissing his chest quickly. "I know he's a nice boy, but it's Brooke's first date – I mean, just because my first date was perfect…" She blushed.

"Who was your first date with?" Finn said defensively, sitting up a little.

"You, silly." She whispered, turning to face him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "You remember, I kissed you, and you kissed back and you told me you wanted to spend as much time with me then as you could." She smiled softly at the memory.

"Oh yeah…" He said gently with a smile. "We went bowling and you were terrible."

She slapped his chest playfully. "I wasn't that bad!" She yelled with a pout.

"Whatever you say, baby." He chuckled and the smile was immediately returned to her face. He hadn't called her baby in a long time. The credits were now rolling in the forgotten movie that had been playing in the background. She leaned up to kiss him, her tongue slipping across his bottom lip. Before the kiss became heavy, the lock on the front door clicked and it opened before closing again quickly. Rachel, knowing it was Brooke, stood from Finn's lap, giving him a quick kiss as she headed out into the foyer.

A huge grin appeared on her face as soon as she saw her daughter's facial expression. "Hey, you! How was it?"

Brooke ran up to her mother to half tackle her in a hug. "It was perfect. _He _was perfect, mom." She whispered, and she could still feel her heart beating a million miles an hour. "He-He's so sweet, and nice, and he even plays guitar, mom! I mean, I already knew he was sweet and nice, but as _friends, _but then he asked me out and it was just," She sighed, letting go of her mother and continuing to gush about David. "He's got messy hair and freckles and he's kind of a dork but he's so, _so_ cute. I know that probably doesn't make any sense to find that attractive."

"Oh, trust me," Rachel gave her a knowing smile. "I know. It makes perfect sense." She said quietly, turning back towards the living room where her husband sat, watching the TV, seemingly oblivious to their conversation.

"Thank you, mom." Brooke said to her when she turned back around to face her daughter. "For everything you said to me about my dreams and everything - it meant a lot. And you really are the best mom in the world."

Rachel tried very hard to stop herself from crying in that moment. She pulled her daughter into another hug, holding her tightly before Brooke told her she was going to go change. Rachel made her way back into the living room, completely stunned and surprised at what Brooke had said to her. She resumed sitting next to Finn, curling into his side again as he wrapped an arm around her.

"I told you you were an amazing parent," he whispered against her forehead before kissing her softly.


	14. take strength from those that need you

**prompt (Anonymous):** _Rachel defending Finn after Santana slaps him._

* * *

><p>The slap was swift, loud and hard. Both Finn and Rachel recoiled in shock as Finn's hand immediately went to his now raw cheek. He was suddenly overcome with rage – but since it was <em>Santana,<em> he couldn't do anything about it. She wasn't a football player he could smash against a locker or attempt to beat up. She was a girl, and _he didn't fucking do anything wrong_ but she still slapped him and he still couldn't do a thing about it. His rage quickly dissipated however, when he felt his girlfriend's hand on his arm, her thumb running along it soothingly. It was as if she could feel his anger.

But when he looked over at her, her mouth was set in a straight line but her eyes glistened with what Finn thought was pure hatred of the girl standing over them. To Finn, it looked like she moved in slow motion as she stood up to face Santana.

"What the hell is your problem, Santana?" Rachel spat at her.

Santana took a step back but raised her eyebrow in almost amusement as the shorter girl rounded on her. "What do you mean 'what is my problem', Berry? Your asshole boyfriend was talking about me!"

"Are you really that ridiculous as to think that Finn Hudson would be as incredibly rude as you are right now? Finn is amazing and selfless and knows that the world does _not _revolve around you. He was saying you guys did an incredible job, and he was right. Not everyone is talking about you! We're the New Directions and despite you switching to Shelby's club, you are still our family. And family sticks together. We're not against you, Santana; we're on your side!"

"No, okay? _He _outed me! _He _is the reason everyone in the entire school knows about it and he is the reason that guy made the commercial about it!"

Rachel took a step towards her, now unafraid of the taller and much more menacing girl who was now verbally bashing her man. "You know what, Santana? You are a _bitch_ and maybe you actually deserved what Finn did to you. Maybe you can get a taste of your own medicine. You can dish it but you can't take it! You put people down – including myself and my boyfriend – and everyone is sick of it!"

"You know what, Berry," Santana said, taking a step towards Rachel. "Maybe _you_ deserve exactly what your boyfriend got. You aren't much less of a whiny bitch than he is."

Finn had had enough by this point. "Santana, stop." Finn stood up, towering over Santana like she was, hovering over his girlfriend protectively. "I don't care who you are. You can't touch her. Not while I'm around." He stared into her eyes, hoping to get his message across.

Santana only sighed dismissively. "That's fine. You can't always be around to protect her, Pastry Bags. And any disagreements between Rachel and I go _way _past you, Frankenteen."

Finn could feel Rachel tense up at the sound of Santana's nicknames for him. They didn't really bother him as much anymore but Rachel always got really angry whenever she caught her using them. Finn quickly wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's waist, pulling her close to him to try to stop whatever outburst she was building the courage to say.

It didn't help.

"Do you want to know something, Santana? Finn is in _amazing _shape!" She screamed at her. "And he is amazing in bed!" She yelled before storming out of the auditorium, grabbing Finn's hand and taking him with her.

Finn's eyes were still wide when they reached the empty hallway outside the auditorium. "I-I'm amazing in bed...?"

Rachel was taking deep breaths, attempting to calm herself down before turning to him with a raised eyebrow at his question. "Well, yes. Of course. I wouldn't expect Santana to understand considering when you two... did it... you weren't in love like we were so it didn't have the same effect. I just wanted to let her know that she's wrong." She smiled proudly up at her boyfriend.

She didn't get another word in before her lips were captured with his and she was backed up against the nearest locker. Her fingers were instantly tangled in his hair, pulling him impossibly closer. The kiss turned heated quickly, and they both knew where it was headed.

"Finn... if we're gonna do this, it can't be in the middle of the hallway." She looked up at him through her eyelashes, biting her lip shyly.

Finn smirked. "Come on, I know just the place."


	15. i will never be the same without you

_It was always for her. Everything was for her._

* * *

><p><strong>i.<strong>

As soon as he told her, she was in tears, gasping desperately for breath and clutching her chest like someone had already ripped her heart out. He didn't really see what the big deal was. He was an adult, he could make his own decisions, and yeah, he loved her more than anything else in the entire world, but just because he _met _with a recruiter, doesn't mean he's actually going to go because honestly? He was terrified at the thought of it. Terrified of leaving his mom who was already an emotional wreck because of the news, and terrified of leaving the girl who was the love of his life. The girl who had stood by him through _everything _so far, and now she was sobbing into his chest, clutching on to him tightly as if he was leaving her right now.

He didn't say anything. How could he? What could he possibly say that would make everything okay besides what he had already told her. _It's just one meeting, Rach, it doesn't mean anything._ But it meant something to her. It meant that he was actually considering it. And he was. He could be a _hero_ like his father, he could make something of his life. He had no idea if he was going to get into any of the colleges he applied for, and it seemed like the perfect back-up plan. But it obviously didn't seem that way to Rachel.

"How can you d-do this? Not just to me, but to your _mom_?" His heart immediately clenched in his chest. Of course she would go straight for the weak spot and attack him for leaving his mom. "How can she possibly be allowing this?" She cried.

"I'm eighteen, Rach, I- "

"I don't care how old you are!" She wailed. "I won't lose you. I _can't_ lose you, Finn."

"Rach! It's not like I'm jumping on a plane tomorrow!" He told her, rubbing her back soothingly as she clung to him. "I _met _with _one _guy, babe. It doesn't mean a thing." He didn't tell her at all that he was seriously considering it though. She was crying far too much for his liking already. "Can't you see? This could be _such_ an amazing opportunity for me. Sure, it's gonna be dangerous but I'd look after myself."

"_Dangerous_? Finn, you could _die_! Don't you remember what happened to your father?" She said the last part quietly, unable to stop herself.

Suddenly, it felt like Finn had the wind knocked out of him. That was a low blow, even for her. Of course he hadn't known his father at all, except for what his mom had told him. But he knew he was a hero, that's what his mom called him - her hero. He wanted to be like that. He wanted to be the guy who could make a difference and help end the pointless wars going on in the world. And he _knew _he could do it. "Why don't you believe I can do it?" He asked her quietly, as her sobs now were muffled by his shirt.

She pulled herself away from him for a second, looking up at him with wide, blinking eyes. She watched him in confusion for a second before bursting into tears again. "How could you think that? You think after all this time that I'm just going to _stop _believing in you? Well, you're wrong, Finn. I have _never_ and will never stop believing in you. I still can't believe you would even think that, let alone say it." She huffed, crossing her arms and sniffling, turning away from her. She closed her eyes, trying to stem the flow of tears, but it wasn't really working. He couldn't help but smile. Through the pain and heartache she was going through, she was still able to give him a full-on lecture. She took a deep breath, still looking down and away from him. "You really are thinking about it... aren't you?" She asked him quietly, feeling the lump in her throat get bigger and her chest tighten even more.

This wasn't supposed to be heartbreaking. This wasn't supposed to hurt him. This wasn't supposed to hurt her. This wasn't supposed to hurt either of them and it shouldn't be breaking them apart already. He just didn't understand. He knew what the big deal was, of course there were dangers involved. But the recruiter had told him that there would be months of training before they even _thought _about shipping him off somewhere. And 80% of the time, the recruiter told him that it was pretty boring and there wasn't that much action involved. He knew it wasn't safe, but he would _be _safe. For her. "I -" He didn't know how to answer her though. "Yeah, I guess..." He said quietly.

She shut her eyes tightly, and without another sound, buried her face in his chest, once again breathing in his scent. "I understand why you want to," she said, almost inaudibly as she kept her head snuggled into his chest and tracing patterns through his sweatshirt. "I just don't see why you _have _to. You're amazing just the way you are, Finn. You don't have to prove anything to anyone. And anyone who thinks so doesn't know you at all."

"Rach… I'm sorry, but- "

She turned to look at him now, giving him a fiery glare but he could still see the sadness in her eyes. Her heart was breaking, he had seen that look before. He could feel something forming in the pit of his stomach. This wasn't right. He wasn't supposed to be making her upset. He loved her more than anything, he wanted her to be happy. But _he _wanted to be happy too. "Fine. Go." Her voice broke slightly and Finn winced. She stood up from his lap and towered over him, intimidating Finn quite a bit considering her usual side. She looked much more menacing when she was the taller one. She sighed deeply before turning to leave the living room. She looked over at him one last time. "I never thought you'd break my heart again, Finn." She whispered quietly, and she left before she could feel the tears coming again.

* * *

><p><strong>ii.<strong>

He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve _her._ After everything he had put her through the past couple of days, he barely even deserved to be in the same _room _as her. But now she was here. She had pulled up a chair, sat directly in front of him, taken his hand and stared into his eyes like he was the only person there - when in fact it was in front of the entire Glee Club. And when she began to sing, that was when he fell apart.

He let out a shaky breath and held her hands tightly and his eyes never left hers for a second.

_I won't run / I won't fly / I will never make it by / Without you_

He bit his lip, giving her hands an extra squeeze. He could see tears forming in her eyes and he was pretty sure his eyes were watering too. But he didn't care if he was crying in front of everyone. Not now.

_I can't quit now / This can't be right / I can't take one more sleepless night / Without you_

He should've known Rachel was going to be stubborn on this. He knew she wasn't going to back down from this. In the end she made him believe she didn't care, and now she was singing her heart out to him and he couldn't hold in his emotions for her.

_I won't soar / I won't climb / If you're not here I'm paralysed / Without you_

He knew she cried while she sung every solo, but there was something different about this. Something more special, and obviously more personal. These were tears for a reason. _Real _tears. It's not that she fake-cried when she sang solos normally, but she was crying for something that she felt in her heart. She really would stop at nothing to make sure he didn't even think about joining the Army or going to see another recruiter.

_I can't look / I'm so blind / I lost my heart / I lost my mind / Without you_

The song was coming to a close and Finn's heart was beating out of his chest. She had sung to him plenty of times before - in the car, at their houses, while they're walking together down the street - but only once before in Glee Club, and that was to apologise. Was she doing the same today? He couldn't tell, all he knew what that there was this beautiful girl in front of him, singing her heart and soul to him, and he could do nothing but sit back and watch, mesmerised by this girl he was in love with.

_I am lost / I am vain / I will never be the same without you_

By now their foreheads were touching and his eyes were brimming as tears streamed down her face. He was still holding tightly to her hands, as he pulled her forward for a searing kiss in front of everyone. He remembered the Rachel a year ago was against all forms of PDA and now she was singing to him and making out with him in the middle of school.

Their lips moved together gently, but also with a sense of urgency, like once again, she was afraid he was going to leave her right now. Her hand slid around to the back of his neck and tangled in his hair as he pulled her closer. By now someone would've stopped them, and Finn was surprised they hadn't already, but he never wanted this moment to end.

When they did eventually pull away from each other, Finn looked deeply into her eyes. He knew they hadn't really solved anything, but he was willing to try anything. Anything for her.

* * *

><p><strong>iii.<strong>

That night he excused himself early from dinner and made his way up to his room, collapsing on his bed and resting his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. He didn't know what he was feeling or what he was thinking anymore. Only 24 hours earlier, Rachel had been sobbing in his lap for an hour over why she didn't want him to meet with another recruiter or go into the Army because it would _kill _her. And then today she sings the most amazing song with the most relevant lyrics to him and he just doesn't know what to think. How does he approach her now? Is she sorry? Is she going to support him now? He didn't know what to expect. He guessed that he just had to wait and see.

He could feel himself drifting off to sleep without realising it, and his door was shut so he didn't hear any of the talking going on downstairs. He knew his mom was still upset - he had only told her about the recruiter the other day. She was heartbroken, he could tell, but he knew that he couldn't play it safe and please his mom his entire life. That was just the cold, hard, truth of it.

But what did it mean for _him_? It just made him even more confused about learning more about the Army or even maybe joining it one day. How could he leave Rachel? After everything they had been through together and after everything she had done that day alone, how could he just walk away from that and be across the other side of the world for months on end.

He groaned in frustration at the colliding opinions in his head and he lifted himself so he could put his pillow over his head. There was one thing he did know though - was that girl who sang to him in Glee Club that day... she was the one he wanted to be with for the rest of his life. He knew that for sure without a doubt.

Before any other confusing thoughts could enter his mind, he heard a quiet knock at the door. He lifted his head up to see if he could hear any voices and he did - he recognised his girlfriend's muffled voice behind the door. "Finn... can I come in? Are you busy?"

He almost leapt off his bed to get to the door, opening it to see a teary-eyed Rachel standing before him. Before he could say anything though, she had jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly and letting out a deep sob. She wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her face in his neck, holding on to him for dear life. "Finn, I am so sorry for yelling at you last night, you have no idea," she cried into his neck and he sighed, rubbing her back gently.

"It's okay, baby, you were just upset- "

"No, it is most certainly _not _okay, Finn Hudson! What if-what if we had that argument right before you left to join the Army, huh?" She pulled back to look at him, a panicked look in her eyes. "I wouldn't see you for _months_ and you'd be mad at me." She choked before burying her face into his shirt.

Finn couldn't help but roll his eyes at how dramatic she was being. But that was _his_ Rachel. He sighed, and still holding her up, he carried her to his bed and sat her down on his lap like they had been the night before. "It is okay," he told her simply, brushing a few strands of hair out of her eyes. "That song made up for it," he murmured before pressing a soft kiss to her hair.

"You liked it?" She looked up at him, and Finn could see the small glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Of course I did. You were singing for me, baby..." He smiled.

Rachel buried her face in his neck again, tracing patterns on his chest as they sat there in silence. It wasn't a completely comfortable silence either, you could cut the tension in the air with a knife. He had a feeling if he said a word, Rachel would just burst into tears again, because there was only one thing they could really talk about.

"Don't go." She whispered almost inaudibly into his shirt and holding on to him tightly.

"What? Rachel, I told you, I- "

"Just _don't_. You can't. You can't do this. _Don't _do this." He could feel her tears dampening his shirt now. "I know it's selfish. I do. But that's just who I am, right?" She asked bitterly, mostly to herself. Before Finn had a chance to protest, she continued. "I know I shouldn't be asking you this, because it's your future and you can do whatever you want with it. But... _please_, Finn. _Anything_ but this. Anything." She choked.

"You weren't being selfish..." He managed to mumble.

"Yes I was! I told you I wanted to make myself a better person and obviously I'm _still _not making the effort." She put her head in her hands. "I don't want to be selfish... but I can't let you do this."

Finn gently pulled her hands away from her face. "Talk to me, Rachel. Tell me everything."

She couldn't stop the words and emotions from pouring out of her mouth even if she tried. "I can't lose you, Finn. To live without you... that would be horrible," she whispered the last part to herself. "Finn... I want to be with you forever. I don't have a doubt about that and I never will have a doubt about that."

She stopped for a second and looking at him as if it was a lot to take in. Which it was. Finn had never heard Rachel talk like this before. Of course they'd talked about college and New York even babies a couple of times but never _forever_, and she had never said anything like that to him before.

She continued. "I want to marry you and have your talented, crooked-smile babies that have two left feet. And I want to live in a house with you one day in New York. I want all of that with you, Finn. And _only _you." She smiled for the first time since she came, but her eyes were brimming with tears. "I-If you were to... leave... and not come back... I wouldn't move on, Finn. You know that, right? I'm forever _yours_, Finn. Faithfully, like the song says." She chuckled, but she was still fighting her tears. "I know you're seriously considering this... but you can't leave me. I love you. So, so much and I don't know about you, being without you would _kill_ me. Watching you... walk away or get on a bus in an Army uniform," she let out a sob. "It would be too much to handle for me."

"Rachel, I -"

"So, please. Please do this. I know I am being selfish but _please_, I can't live without you, Finn Hudson. Don't do this - for me."

His heart was clenching in his chest, and it was aching. Aching for her and their future and their talented, crooked-smile children with two left feet. "I won't," he breathed, letting out a quiet yet audible sob. "God, Rach, I won't." He whispered before wrapping his arms around her and crushing her body to his with a searing kiss.

Her fingers tangled in his hair almost immediately as they both simultaneously gasped for breath but also desperately kissed each other. "Don't let go," she whispered breathlessly, fisting his shirt in her hand as she kissed him again.

"I won't baby, I won't."

It was probably the most passionate moment either of them had ever shared, besides their first time, and Finn couldn't possibly think of a moment other than that when he felt so in love with this girl in front of him. She _was_ his future, he knew that for sure now.

He breathed only one word. "Stay."

"Okay," was all she replied with and they fell back onto the bed in each other's arms and they pulled the covers over them and she stroked his cheek and they shared passionate yet sweet kisses and she had her hand on his heart. And it was beyond perfect. "Thank you, Finn."

"Anything for you, beautiful."

It was always for her. _Everything_ was for her.


	16. snow day

**prompt (whentheworldslowsdown):** _Finn and Rachel go tobogganing and after have hot chocolate and snuggle to warm up._

* * *

><p>"Fi-Finn, it's so c-cold," Rachel stuttered, her tiny frame shivering violently, attempting to warm herself up by rubbing her arms with her hands. They were standing at the top of a small hill – which was the steepest one Rachel would go down. Rachel was so small and even after only standing there for a few minutes, her feet were beginning to disappear under the snow, and only the tips of her pink boots could be seen.<p>

"Come on, baby! It'll be fun, I promise." Finn smiled down at her.

"What if we f-fall?" She tried to say, but her teeth were chattering far too much.

Finn rolled his eyes playfully before giving her a knowing look. "I'd never let you fall, you know that."

Rachel managed a small smile before moving slowly towards the toboggan. Her feet was so far buried in the snow that she could only really move in slow motion as she finally sat down safely on the seat. Finn slowly moved so he could sit down behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and beginning to kiss her neck.

"Fiiiiiin!" She whined with a giggle when she felt his cold lips on her neck. "Stop it, your lips are freezing!" She turned around to face him with what was probably the cutest Rachel Berry pout he had ever seen in his entire life.

Finn raised his eyebrows suggestively at her. "Will you warm them up for me then?" He asked her innocently with wide eyes.

Rachel rolled her eyes before pressing her lips to his quickly. "That will tide you over until we get to the bottom of the hill. You can earn more kisses if we don't fall off this thing," she said, a worried tone to her voice as she looked down the hill below them. The hill wasn't really _that_ small, but there were definitely much larger ones that Finn would have rather gone down than this one. But he was going to give them an extra push so they would go a little faster.

"I told you, babe, I'm not going to let you fall." He chuckled. "Are you ready?"

Finn could only laugh harder as she tried to get the bright pink helmet on her head before yelling, "Bring it on!"

He put his own helmet on securely before getting himself into the proper position. He then began pushing them across the snow and down the hill with his hands and, they began slowly sliding down the snow before gradually gaining speed. Once they were at quite a fast pace, that was when Rachel began squealing, and Finn couldn't tell whether it was with joy or terror as they sped down the hill quickly. There wasn't really many obstacles on this hill, but the snow was blinding Finn's eyes towards the end so he couldn't really see where they were going. Right at the very end as the toboggan began to slow down, it hit a small tree branch buried in the snow and Finn was thrown out of the toboggan into the snow and before he knew it, Rachel was on top of him.

Rachel finally looked up when they stopped moving and snorted when she saw Finn was half covered in the snow. She giggled when she realised that they actually _had _indeed fallen out of the toboggan, and Finn was wrong. Finn let out a heavy sigh and Rachel giggled again. "Finny, now's not the time to be taking a nap in the snow." She told him as she lay on top of him, patting his chest before sitting up to see where the toboggan went. It was still against the tree root they had hit and she looked back over to Finn who was finally sitting up as the snow fell off him.

"Are you okay?" She asked, sliding over to him and pulling his helmet off for him and running her glove covered hand through his hair.

"I'm fine, it wasn't that much of a fall, and besides, the snow is softer down here…" He said quietly, picking up a handful of snow and throwing it in her direction.

"Hey!" She yelled, standing up quickly and placing her hands on her hips. "Things like that won't earn you any kisses, Finn Hudson!" She told him sternly before a smile broke out on his face. "What could you possibly be smiling at Finn?"

"Your boots. They're cute."

She looked down at her bright pink boots. "They-They match my helmet!" She said loudly and he chuckled. Her teeth were beginning to chatter again.

"I know, and it's adorable," he said, standing up and wrapping his arms around her waist when he realised that she was getting cold again.

"How can you be s-so warm all the time?" She asked him, snuggling into his chest, basically melting into him when she could feel the warmth coming from his body.

He shrugged a little, holding on to her tightly and rubbing her back gently. "Let's just go back to the cabin. We don't want you to freeze out here."

"Can we make hot chocolate?" She asked excitedly, staring up at him with wide eyes and a giant smile. She really was just like a small child sometimes but Finn found his girlfriend incredibly adorable every single time she spoke, whether she was excited or mad at him.

"I'll make you hot chocolate _with_ marshmallows," he chuckled and Rachel clapped her hands excitedly.

"Then let's go!" She grabbed his hand and began to drag him back up the hill after he grabbed his helmet and the toboggan. Also, much like a small child, Rachel got a lot of random bursts of energy that came out of nowhere and that just made Finn love her even more because of her enthusiasm.

* * *

><p>Once they arrived back at the cabin they were staying at for their vacation with his mom, Burt, Kurt and Blaine – none of them seemed to be home at the moment – Rachel went straight into her room to change into warmer clothes that weren't covered in snow and Finn began to get everything ready to make the hot chocolate. Once she finally came out of her room, bundled up in what must have been layers upon layers, she came up to her boyfriend and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Come snuggle with me," she murmured into his chest and held on to him tightly.<p>

Finn smiled, her short adrenaline rush was over and now she was obviously tired. "I'm almost finished with the hot chocolate, so I'll bring it over when it's ready, babe." He said gently, pressing his lips to the top of her head before she let go of him and moved towards the couch in front of the fire.

By the time he finished with the hot chocolate and brought it to her on the couch, her eyes were closed and her head was leaning back against the couch.

"Baby, are you awake?"

"Mhmmm," she let out to let him know she wasn't asleep.

"Well you're gonna fall asleep."

"No, I'm not." She told him sternly, but she still didn't open her eyes.

"I have your hot chocolate if you want it."

Only then did she open her eyes and smile at him, moving so she could lean her head against his shoulder instead. "Thank you, Finn." She yawned, taking the mug from him and smiling as she stirred the spoon around. She felt warmer instantly as soon as she took a sip, but she wasn't sure if it was the hot chocolate or if it was because Finn's arms were wrapped securely around her and her head was nuzzled in his neck. "You really are the best boyfriend ever, you know that?" She looked up at him, kissing his cheek quickly before taking another long sip of her hot chocolate.

"You're welcome, babe, and I try." He chuckled, leaning down so he could access her neck, dropping light and gentle kisses down it.

"Mmm your lips are warm now," she giggled, turning her head to kiss him softly on the lips, tracing his lips with her tongue before pulling away with a smile as she turned back towards her mug of hot chocolate.

"You know there are plenty of other ways to keep warm..." He whispered huskily in her ear as he trailed his lips down her jawline, making her shiver.

"I know," she whispered back, biting her lip shyly and turning to him. "And I want to. But later. I need a nap so I can have all the energy I need." She winked, kissing him again quickly before finishing off the mug. "But you'll have to hold me so I'll be able to sleep effectively, you know," she told him matter-of-factly.

Finn grinned, taking the mug off of her. "Come on then." He took her hand and stood up, taking the mug back to the kitchen before leading her to her bedroom.

She felt warm instantly as soon as Finn wrapped his arms around her and they were under the covers together. She rested her head against his chest, breathing in his scent and closing her eyes. "Remind me to thank your mom and Burt for bringing me on this trip with you guys. It's been really fun." She said, drowsiness coating her tone.

Finn chuckled. "Even falling out of the toboggan?"

"Even falling out of the toboggan," she repeated, smiling and kissing his chest quickly.

Finn didn't really say anything else, he just watched his girlfriend fall into a deep sleep, and smiled when she began making cute noises that meant she was dreaming. He found himself dozing off too after a while, but all he could really think about was how they were going to 'keep warm' later.


	17. brutally honest

**A/N:**This was already on my account, I just reposted it into here.

**prompt: ** _Rachel tells Finn about the baby - Sectionals._

* * *

><p>"I have to tell you something."<p>

Six words that makes his heart drop to his stomach. She looks serious, _upset_ even. And as much as he'd hate to admit it, he _hated_ seeing her upset like that. Did he do something wrong? Did she have a boyfriend? Oh God, not a boyfriend. With everything going on with Quinn, he didn't think he'd be able to handle the heartbreak.

Wait, what was he talking about? He had a girlfriend. The _hottest_ girl in the entire school - probably even in all of Lima! Well, not now since she was knocked up.

But deep down, that wasn't what he really cared about.

He wanted a girl who was _beautiful_, and smart and who _cared_ about him and his feelings. Someone who _loved_ him and never wanted him to change. And the girl he was talking to right this second was the only one that ticked all those boxes.

His attention refocused on her and her worried expression. He didn't like this.

"Come with me," she said quickly, dragging him by the wrist to the choir room. It was just before Glee Club rehearsals so they only had a few minutes alone before the rest of the club came in.

Him and Rachel _alone_? Damn, he shouldn't be thinking of things like that.

She bit her lip as they entered the choir room. He was right, no one was there, much to his relief. He had a feeling whatever Rachel was going to say wasn't good and he didn't need an audience.

"Finn, please... sit down." She said gently. Her voice eased his nerves a little as he took a seat on the piano bench, staring up at her.

She looked unsure whether to sit next to him or not and he smiled softly, patting the space next to him. She sat not too close but not too far away from him. She began mindlessly pressing keys on the piano and he looked over at her.

"What's going on, Rachel...?" he finally had the courage to ask.

She then began sobbing and his eyes narrowed. He didn't understand what was going on. "I am _so_ sorry, Finn! It's not really my place to be telling you this but you _need_ to know the truth and if Quinn o-or Noah won't tell you then I will!"

Did he mention he hated seeing her cry? She had her head in her hands and her body was moving in time with her sobs.

"Rachel..." he said, hesitantly sliding closer to her on the bench. He placed his hand on her back, rubbing it up and down slowly. "I-I want you to tell me... _Please_."

She slowly looked up and into his eyes when she felt his hand on her back. Her heart skipped a few beats. How was he able to do that to her? She then began to let out broken sobs again. "The baby," was all she said at first. Finn had no clue what she meant. Was there something wrong with the baby? No, Quinn would've told him. Would she? It did feel like he wasn't as close to her as he should be... She cut off his thoughts as she turned to him, tears streaming down her cheeks and Finn wanted nothing more than to hold her, and tell her everything would be alright. "Y-You're not the f-father of Quinn's baby." She blurted out, and she covered her mouth and her eyes widened as if it was something she wasn't meant to say.

He almost laughed. "I - what?" he asked when she didn't look amused at all. "Rachel... I-I don't understand."

"It's Noah's..." she whispered. "Quinn cheated on you with Noah... and she-she got pregnant." She cringed. She knew he'd be mad, and she was damn right about that.

He began shaking with anger. There were a million things running through his mind. His _girlfriend_ cheated on him. The girl that said she loved him every other day. And his _best friend_ - the dude that had been there for him long before Quinn even came along. A part of him didn't believe it - but this was Rachel telling him this. She had always been honest with him, _brutally_ honest even. She wouldn't lie to him, not about this. With the thoughts of Rachel clouding his mind he turned back to her to find his vision blurred. It took him a few seconds to realise he was crying.

And then he broke down in her arms. He cried for what seemed like forever, and she just held him. Because that's all she could do. There was something comforting about her arms wrapped around his torso, and the way her tiny hands rubbed up and down his back or the way her whispers of 'it'll all be okay' in his ear. Finn didn't know what people were talking about when they say that when people say 'it'll be okay' they're being stupid because they don't know what they're going through. Because Rachel was so empathetic, somehow he knew she did understand what it felt like to be betrayed.

She held him for a good ten minutes, letting the tears fall freely herself. Despite everything going on, Rachel had to admit having him in her arms was more than she could ever ask for - plus he smelled amazing. She couldn't help but think this was how it was meant to be. _She_ wanted to be the one that was there for him. _She_ wanted to be the one to comfort him and make him feel good about himself. She wanted the ability to make everything okay for him.

He finally looked up at her, his eyes red and puffy - she had never seen him this broken before, and she knew right there and then that it was her job to fix him.

Without thinking, she placed her hand on his cheek, slowly rubbing his cheekbone with her thumb. "Finn..." she whispered and he turned away. She frowned. She wanted to help him, she _needed_ to help him. "I am _so_ sorry..."

He bit his lip to try and stop the tears that were beginning to build behind his eyes. He leaned into her touch. It was soothing, almost. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to fight away everything he was feeling. "I-It's not your fault..." he spoke softly and evenly, which surprised him a little. "But thank you," he whispered. "For everything."

"Finn -"

He cut her off. "It means everything to me. You, telling me something no one else had the guts to." He clenched his fist and she bit her lip worriedly. What was he going to do now that he knew?

"I care about you, Finn," she said firmly, her hand slipping down his arm to take his in hers. She didn't think it was the best idea, but she thought it was okay, considering she had _Finn has a girlfriend, he has a girlfriend_ stuck in her head the entire time. "And you deserve the truth."

No one has ever _spoken_ to him like that. No one has ever made him feel like he was worth so much more than a Lima loser. He knew Rachel was different to everyone he's ever met in his whole life, but this was unbelievable. "Rachel..."

"There's no need to thank me," she said quietly with a soft smile, all traces of tears had disappeared. It was like she was reading his mind - which wasn't a surprise. She had always had that sort of connection with him. She studied his expression. "Are you okay?" she asked gently. "What are you going to do about Quinn...?"

She'd be lying if she said she didn't want them to break up and for him to be with her - but that was mean. And he was her best friend, and she would be there for him as a friend for as long as he needed her.

He bit his lip at the sound of her name and Rachel instantly regret bringing it up - she could practically see his heart breaking.

"I don't know... She cheated on me, I - I don't know what to do anymore..." He was so lost and confused.

The girl he loved cheated on him - breaking up with her was the only option. But what about Puck? He wasn't just going to let this slide with him. He was just so angry with him. He was his right-hand man, he thought he could trust him!

He felt a small hand envelope his as he realised he had been clenching his first again. He looked over to her and gave her a small smile - the first proper smile since they had walked into the choir room.

"Please, just... promise me you won't do anything stupid." She said, looking cautiously into his eyes to make sure he heard her. She wasn't supposed to know about the baby being Puck's and she had been sworn to secrecy but as soon as she heard the only thing she could think of doing was rushing over to Finn's locker and telling him. He deserved the truth - and Quinn was horrible for doing this to him.

But it was too late.

All hell was about to break loose.


	18. i want you to know you're who i wanna be

**prompt (Anonymous): **_Ambitious, spoiled brat Rachel is shoving her way to the top. That is, until she meets the innocent Finn who she can't seem to step on in order to get higher up the ladder._

* * *

><p><em><strong>i.<strong>_

She sees him for the first time in the hallway. Well, it was hard _not_ to notice him. He was tall and handsome and Rachel heard that he was the new quarterback of the football team. Now she at least had an excuse to watch the games with the rest of the club without stumbling for an excuse. What saddened her about this newcomer, though, was that he looked so lost. She frowned. Maybe she should approach him and ask him to join the Glee Club? They always needed new chorus members. He didn't look like much of a dancer so he could just sway in the background while she hit the high notes. She suddenly grinned with a nod of her head, and began to approach him.

"Hello! My name is Rachel Berry. I see you're new to the school. I know you must be finding it hard to settle in but I was wondering if you'd like to join our Glee Club? We're always looking for new people to stand behind me as I make everyone cry with my fabulous solos!" She told him enthusiastically.

He stared blankly back at her. "Uh… the Glee Club? Well I've already got football so –"

"That's okay! We only rehearse a couple of times a week and it won't get in the way of any of your practices!" She nods.

That bright smile of hers was hard to resist. "Um sure… I guess. When are auditions?"

She grinned and began to recite the times that auditions were on. He just stared at her – who was she? She was annoying the crap out of him but… she was kind of pretty. Her eyes had just lit up when she began to talk to him – but he wasn't exactly sure why she wanted him to join the Glee Club. Was she going to lure him just to humiliate him or was she genuinely being nice?

And most importantly, why did he agree to it in the first place?

* * *

><p><em><strong>ii.<strong>_

He showed up to the auditorium the next day at four. There were about 12 people sitting in the audience and Rachel was standing at the front of the group addressing them with enthusiastic hand gestures. He almost chuckled. Why the hell was he here? He only sung in the shower! And he didn't even have a song prepared for today.

He got up on stage, palms sweating and legs shaking. He didn't know why was so nervous about performing in front of a bunch of losers. He racked his brain for something he could sing – and the only song that he could think of was the one he sang in the shower this morning.

The familiar opening notes to _Hello, I Love You_ sounded through the auditorium and Rachel's eyes widened a little in shock. She couldn't believe it. This was a popular, attractive young man who could actually _sing _and he was new so he hadn't really been sucked into anything just yet besides football. This almost seemed to good to be true. And most importantly, if he was male lead he could help carry them to Nationals and that would help her chances of getting into a performing arts school in New York City. So, really, this would all work out for her in some way. Her eventual career was everything to her, and right now her main focus was getting New Directions to Nationals and getting out of Lima so she can make her dreams come true.

But right _now_, she was just too mesmerised with this boy in front of her singing his heart out to a group of people he didn't even know. She could _feel _his words seeping into her, and it wasn't like that with anyone else she had ever heard sing. Sure, when Puck or Sam or Artie sang she smiled and giggled and she thought they were all amazing in their own way. But this was the first time she ever felt _something_. She felt a fire course through her veins and her skin flushed whenever she caught him looking at her while he sung. It was unfamiliar and it was scary - who was he and how could he have this sudden effect on her? This wasn't normal. _She _was supposed to have that effect on everyone else!

Frustrated and confused, she crossed her arms over her chest with a huff, staring up at Finn and tried not to smile like a childish schoolgirl whenever he looked her way.

* * *

><p><em><strong>iii.<strong>_

He's intrigued by her, he really is. He remembered the first day in the locker room with the guys from the football team – he remembered what they said about her, the names they called her and the plans they made to slushie her later on in the day. But he didn't see any of what they were saying in her, and Finn thought she most _definitely_ didn't have man hands. Some of the other guys from the team were in the club too, so he didn't get a lot of crap from being in the club. He didn't remember any of their names besides Puckerman, only 'cause he was pretty cool to him on his first day.

Hearing Rachel sing for the first time was something else altogether. _She _was something else altogether. He didn't recognise the song at all and he guessed it to be some big Broadway hit and as she belted out the last note, Finn could feel the tingles and shivers and goosebumps rising up on his skin and the butterflies in his stomach only increase in size.

He stuttered out a quiet 'you're pretty amazing' to her afterwards, and all she did was smile and blush a little before hurrying away.

They were both so shy and timid around each other when both of them knew it wasn't a part of their personalities at all. There was just something different about her that made his heart beat erratically and she had a voice that made him weak in the knees.

She was sweet, though, Finn had learned. He also noticed she cared a lot about his feelings and always asked him how he was every single day. He could really get used to that and he wondered if there was anyone else quite like this girl in the big, wide world. And she would smile at him like she had just won the lottery when he would simply compliment her. It made him wonder if she got complimented often – but he didn't see why she wouldn't. She really was beautiful.

Too bad the football players were smart enough to notice that he had befriended her. They didn't like that at all. They shoved him up against the lockers and pushed him around and treated him like he was every other loser in this town when he knew he wasn't. He didn't really feel popular at all after that. Especially after he kicked the crap out of Azimio after he made another one of his sexist comments about Rachel.

There was just something about her – something that gave Finn the instinct and need to protect her. Maybe it was because she was basically half his size and vulnerable or maybe it was because she was his friend and a huge part of him never wanted to see her get hurt. He wanted to be the one that could be able to protect her and make her feel as special as she was.

* * *

><p><em><strong>iv.<strong>_

She has these strange thoughts when she's with him. It's not anything bad, it's just a lot different than what she's used to and she doesn't know what to do with it. No one has ever really been this interested in her life before and it warms her heart. He asks her a lot about her personal life and she tells him about her dads and how she's been singing since she was an infant and how she hasn't ever really had any friends.

"Until me," he answers softly and he swears he can see the faint blush forming on her cheeks.

"Yeah, until you…" She says before ducking her head.

It had been a few weeks not and it turned out Finn just wanted to spend time with her more and more. He wasn't there for any particular reason other from the pure fact he wanted to be with a friend. They had nice conversations, but they were contradictory. They didn't argue; Finn just seemed to believe in her a lot more than anyone else had or should. He told her that he believed that she doesn't have to hide behind her career. She can be loved too and that if she wants to have a career as well as a personal life, then it's possible.

"I'd rather have my career over being liked…" She told him one day, crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly, but she didn't sound convincing at all. That was what she was _settling _for because no one else liked her. Well, Finn wanted to change that. He wanted to make her feel like she was worth it – that all her dreams could come true in just the way she wanted it.

He really is the most special and unique person she has ever met, and she wonders if considering her needs along the way really is a bad idea after all.

* * *

><p><em><strong>v.<strong>_

"Congratulations, Rachel, I guess that means you have the solo."

Normally she would smile, do a little dance in her seat. But all she could do was look around the room at the disappointed faces before looking down at her lap. She wasn't proud of what she had done. Not at all. But it was all for her career and that was the most important thing to her now. ...Right? But she couldn't help but look over at the boy sitting next to her, who was wearing a similar expression to the others and her heart dropped into her stomach. He looked _so _disappointed in her, and how couldn't he be? She sent the new girl to a _crack house_ just so she could get that solo.

But it was a Broadway hit! She _needed _that solo.

But the more she tried to convince herself of that, the more she just felt bad for herself.

The stares and the mutterings behind her back had been getting too much for her though, and soon enough she was going to have some sort of meltdown if she didn't do something about it. Suddenly, she stood up, turned around to face the judgemental eyes of her fellow Glee clubbers, putting her hands firmly on her hips.

"It wasn't an active crack house!" She yelled at them quickly before turning on her heel and leaving the choir room. It all happened so fast that no one really knew what to do, most just stared after her as she did another one of her usual Rachel Berry storm outs. Finn sighed heavily, he knew what she did was wrong but he could also tell that she was upset and all the talk of acceptance and getting people to like her was just going out the window. He got up from his chair, quickly telling Mr. Schuester he'd go look for her before exiting the choir room as well.

He could see her making her way down the hallway, pushing through the crowds of students as she tried to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"Rachel!" He called after her, and he knew she could hear him, but she still didn't stop or turn around. Actually, it seemed like she was walking even faster away from him. He groaned and rolled his eyes, jogging to catch up to her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it slightly when they reached the end of the hall. He didn't expect what he saw when she did turn around to face him though. Tears were brimming in her eyes and she was biting her lip and he _knew _what that meant and before he could say anything, she was pulling herself out of his grasp and wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "You got the solo, Rach... Why are you upset?" He knew it was a stupid question, but he just wanted her to talk to him.

"Don't you see?" She hissed as she turned and rounded on him. "_Everyone _hates me. It's not just the people outside of Glee Club anymore! You don't think I _see _the way Kurt looks at me? He's the one that's most like me out of everyone and even he hates me. He _hates _me, Finn. _Everybody_ hates me."

Finn shook his head and scoffed quietly, reaching up to put his hand back on her tiny shoulder. "That is not the truth. You sent her to a _crack house, _Rachel, what do you think they're going to say? They'll forgive you. Glee Club isn't about hating people, even I know that."

By now the tears were streaming down her face and she wasn't holding back.

"Rachel, come on -"

"You just don't understand, Finn. You have your football team and your popular and hell, you're the new kid - nobody knows who you really are and _everybody _hates me."

He didn't hate her. He never did and he never will.

Actually, he thought it could be quite the opposite.

* * *

><p><em><strong>vi.<strong>_

She's not at school for the next few days, and Finn could understand why. It didn't stop him from missing her any more though. He half expected her to rush into their Spanish classroom flustered because she was late and handing Mr. Schuester some sort of note before taking her seat next to him. He realised he had spent most of the time she was gone just thinking about her, and how that probably wasn't normal. He had to help her though, he knew that much.

Rachel, on the other hand, decided that not getting out of bed was a good plan for the next three days. She told her dads she had the flu, and they trusted her enough to know that when she said that they shouldn't come in in case they catch it, they should both just stay out. They worked long hours, so Rachel easily could have slipped out and done something outside of the house, but she really just didn't feel like it. She didn't want to be around people. Plus, she should have been used to being alone, right? Even if all she could think about was the tall, adorable boy who seemed to be the only one who cared about her. And she pushed him away. Just like she pushed everyone else away from her because of her stupid ambition and her stupid career. She didn't understand why she was so driven. Sometimes the competitive nature got the best of her and she just couldn't control it.

On the third day, her fathers were beginning to get worried, and that's when they started asking questions. Her dads were familiar with the fact that she got teased, and a lot of the time they blamed themselves because she got teased for having two fathers. It was the last thing she wanted either of them to do though, so she shrugged off their questions nonchalantly.

She has figured by now that Finn is just another person who has finally figured out that she's not worth their time. But other thoughts start to fill her head - he was different - and maybe she was the one pushing him away. Maybe he actually wanted to stick around? It seemed like such a far-fetched idea, but there was just _something _about him. It wasn't the part of him that made her act like she was twelve years old with a crush. It was the part of him that made her feel special, made her feel like she was loved and that she had friends and that she was actually _worth_ something more than her voice. And it felt amazing. She had pushed her one and only friend away without even realising it.

She cried herself to sleep that night.

* * *

><p><em><strong>vii.<strong>_

Finn didn't fully realise what he was doing until he was actually standing on the Berry's porch, knocking on the front door and having it been answered by one very intimidating looking man with an icy glare. He stood there frozen for a second, unable to really speak or move.

"You must be Finn," was all the man said. His steely voice most definitely matched his stare and Finn found himself swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Y-Yes sir... I was, uh, wondering if Rachel was home. She hasn't been to school in a few days," he said stupidly, like her dad's had no idea that she was staying home from school. "I was just worried about her." He said with a nod.

Rachel's father's expression didn't change as Finn stuttered out to him. "Hmm, she's upstairs. I'm sure if anyone can change her condition, it's you. She speaks very highly of you." Her father finally said, narrowing his eyes at the taller boy when he noticed his face flush red at his words. "I'm Leroy, by the way."

"Thank you, Mr- I mean, Leroy." Finn swallowed again, trying to hide his nerves but he knew he was failing. He didn't know Rachel's dad was going to be so formal. Terrifying, even. He quickly moved into the house and disappeared up the staircase before her dad could change his mind. He walked down to the end of the hallway, looking into every open door he passed hoping to find Rachel. When he reached the end door, he could hear soft music playing from behind it, and he knew it was hers. He knocked on the door quietly, biting his lip before speaking. "Hey Rach? It's Finn. I was wondering if we could talk..." When she didn't answer, he continued. "I know you haven't been at school or Glee Club and I know why. I just wanted to say I'm sorry and that… I really miss you, Rach, and I was hoping you could come back."

The music stopped suddenly and Finn wasn't quite sure if he should open the door himself and check if she was actually listening to him at all. But before he could do anything, the door had swung open and Rachel came flying into his arms, lifting herself off the ground and wrapping her legs around him as she held on to him like her life depended on it. "Finn." She breathed out, burying her face in his neck and revelling in his scent.

A smile appeared on his face as soon as his name left her lips and he just held on to her that much tighter. He didn't know how one person could miss someone so much. And he held her and he could smell strawberries and vanilla and it almost made his mouth water. He didn't know how one person had such a strange but amazing effect on him. He knew she was different to any other girl he had ever met – but that what that meant wasn't exactly something Finn was sure of. He brushed it off, for now he just wanted to focus on the girl in his arms.

When she pulled back to look at him, he could see her eyes watering and her bottom lip trembling and he knew all too well what was coming next. "I am so sorry, Finn!" She burst out, holding him even tighter. "I never should have doubted you it was such a stupid thing for me to think you don't care. I _know _you care; you're the only person who has ever cared. And you're so open and honest a-and I know you'd never hurt or lie to me. I'm just so sorry, Finn." She breathed the last part quietly in exhaustion, leaning her head against his chest, blushing when she realised her legs were still wrapped tightly around his torso.

"Baby, stop," he said softly, gently combing his fingers through her hair. "I can understand that you have trust issues. But I'm here now."

She couldn't, and didn't want to, hide the huge smile that graced her features when she realised he had just called her 'baby'. "You're adorable," she whispered, and she could almost _feel_ his blush from where she was on his chest.

When they finally unwrapped themselves from each other, Rachel took his hand silently and lead him to her bed. They were entering dangerous waters but neither of them seemed to care. She had her best friend and he had this _girl_ who just somehow seemed to be everything to him.

* * *

><p><em><strong>viii.<strong>_

They spent the night watching Broadway musicals - and surprisingly, it was Finn that suggested it. "You'll have to tell me what happens in the end if I fall asleep," he teased her with a chuckle and that earned him a light slap on the arm.

"You will not be falling asleep, Finn Hudson." She shook her head with a little laugh of her own.

"I'll try." He rolled his eyes playfully and turned his attention back to the screen in front of him. He was so distracted by the fact that he was on Rachel Berry's bed with her that they were more than halfway through the movie and Finn had no idea what was going on at all. He just nodded and laughed when Rachel pointed out her favourite characters or scenes. He wasn't even sure what the title of the movie was anymore.

The fell into a comfortable silence for a while, neither of them said anything about the movie as it continued playing. Rachel was the first to break the silence, and it wasn't at all what he expected.

"I hurt so many people… Normally I'm the one crushing everyone else so I can be on top. Musically speaking. I've just always wanted to be number one in that Glee Club, with all the solos. Same with the musical. I would do anything remotely possible to sabotage the other contenders so I would get the lead. I stomp on everyone and everything that gets in my way in order to reach the top." She told him, still looking straight ahead at the television screen.

Finn watched her intently, listening to her speak with sad eyes. He might have not known her for as long as everyone else had but he still _knew _her, and he liked to think he knew how she felt more than anyone else.

"But then there's _you_." She sighed, and his head snapped back towards her to listen. "There's you, the kindest, sweetest, gentlest, most generous and giving person I have ever met." His heart swelled. "You were the only person I couldn't push out of the way, the only person I would be willing to give things up for." She bit her lip, wondering if she was freaking him out by saying too much. She always had the tendency to do that. Discouraging people seemed to be her thing. She finally turned to him, looking up into his eyes through her thick eyelashes. "And you're the one who made me see that I can be a star, but still be loved by people. I can have friends, and I can have everything I want."

He didn't know what to say. He really didn't. He was completely speechless.

"I would do anything for you, Finn, even if it meant –"

"No." He knew what she was going to say and he refused to hear it. "Absolutely not."

"Can you please just let me finish?" She asked quietly.

"No! Rachel, no." He said loudly, standing up off her bed and turning to face her. "There is no way I am letting you give up anything for me!"

"I was just saying that I would! I'm not saying at all that I will be giving up anything any time soon." She told him, sliding off the bed as well and standing up to him. "Please, Finn. You've helped me realise something important."

"What's _important _is your career. Not your relationship with me." He said bluntly, not looking at her.

"How can you say that, Finn? You're my first _real _and only friend!" She cried out.

Finn let out an exasperated breath before taking a step towards her, a look of steely determination in his eyes as he hooked an arm around her waist and crushed his lips onto hers. She whimpered loudly into his mouth immediately and gripped his shoulders tightly. The kiss ended much sooner than either of them would have liked but Finn knew that it wasn't supposed to be this way. Their first kiss was supposed to be gentle and romantic not rough and impulsive but he knew the noise she had made would be replaying in the back of his mind for weeks.

He looked at her apologetically before stepping away. "I'm sorry. I never wanted to come between you and your dreams. You're amazing, Rachel, and you're a star. Maybe the reason you don't have many friends is because they're all just going to drag you down anyway." He said quietly, and Rachel could _feel _the sadness in his tone.

"Finn, wait…"

"I can't. I'm sorry." He murmured quietly before turning to leave her room.

He was perfect, she had decided. He really, really was.

* * *

><p><em><strong>ix.<strong>_

It had been a week since Rachel had even spoken to Finn, but she had returned to school, mostly because staying home and thinking about that kiss over and over would have driven her insane. The auditorium was her refuge, she had been working on a new number she planned to sing in Glee Club and it wasn't going so well. She was screwing up high notes, and she was even off tune with her low ones. She couldn't do it because every time she thought of the lyrics she would choke up and begin sobbing all over again.

She never wanted to be that girl – the one that cried over a boy. But he wasn't _just _a boy. He was her best friend, he confidant, her _everything._

She was beginning to get even more frustrated with the song, which made her be even more off-pitch than she already was. She wondered if it was even a good idea to be singing this song in the first place to him. It wasn't exactly subtle, and then he would know how she felt and how much she wanted him in her life.

Sighing heavily, she decided to try at least one more time before calling it a day. She closed her eyes as the slow intro began to play, and beginning to sing and the appropriate time. She knew she screwed it up a couple of times on the high notes but she was pleased with herself once the song was over. It was a challenging one, and she knew if she could nail it then hopefully Finn would forgive her for acting so ridiculous. She barely even heard the footsteps coming on to the stage before the voice made the person known.

"I love you too."

Eyes widening, she turned around to face the familiar voice. Her breath caught in her throat as his words began to sink in. "What…?"

"I love you too, Rachel… God, I love you too." He whispered, barely even registering when she jumped into his arms and he could feel her tears dampening his shoulder as she clung to him.

"H-How did you know?"

"We watched Funny Girl the other night, didn't we? Isn't that the closing number?" He asked with a smile, quite proud of himself for doing the research for her.

"Finn, I –"

"Shhh," he cooed, pulling back slightly so he could press his lips to hers, gentle and soft, just like their first should have been. "I don't care, Rachel. I don't. It doesn't matter if you choose your career or anything else, or if you have the opportunity to have both. This is _here _and _now _and I want to be a part of your life for as long as I possibly can. You're my best friend, Rach, and I love you."

She wasn't able to contain her smile any longer as their lips met once more, her fingers tangling quickly in his hair and his tongue rubbing against hers gently. "I can't believe you love me," she murmured quietly when they both pulled away from each other breathlessly."

"I can't believe _you _love _me._" He replied, staring at her in awe as he tapped her on the nose, causing her to giggle. "And I can't believe you were going to sing it in front of the whole Glee Club!"

"I still can, if you want me to."

"Oh, I want you to." He laughed again, slipping her hand into his. "Everyone needs to know you're mine," he growled playfully, squeezing her hand and resting his forehead against hers. Love was something he never thought he'd come across, but somehow he always knew. Even if it had only been a little over a month.

Rachel knew now though, that she couldn't choose. When she thought of her future, she didn't just think of bright lights and stages and fans and music, she thought of this beautiful, incredible boy who had just told her he loved her. She thought of a family, a house, children, marriage – and the only person she could ever see that with is Finn. She refused to choose, she refused to lose either one.


	19. heart to heart

**prompt:** _Cory and Lea cuddling in her apartment after the Golden Globes._

* * *

><p>It was <em>much <em>better than last year's Golden Globes, he had decided. Especially when she asked him to join her back at the apartment for post-after party coffee.

The fact that she had actually convinced him to stay for an after party was one thing, but convincing him to go back to her apartment on a _work _night? That was something else entirely. Okay, it didn't really take that much convincing, he just didn't want to end up staying up _too _late.

They hadn't quite established their relationship since Lea and Theo broke up. It was one of things where they enjoyed each other's company immensely, but each were afraid to bring it up in case it ruined everything. Everything had escalated quickly though, they had become much more flirtatious around each other and Cory always seemed to be touching her in some way, which she didn't protest to or mind _at all._

She thought about his hands, holding hers between Glee scenes, his thumb circling the top of her thigh under the table when they sat next to each other (he had done that tonight, she had noticed, when they kept moving seats) and his hands running up and down her body. She tried not to visibly shiver as she unlocked the front door to her apartment, biting her lip and leading Cory inside.

Sheila was there waiting for them on the couch. "Just where I left you," Lea murmured, petting the cat softly before turning around to say something to Cory before realising he wasn't behind her. "Cory?" She called out into the silent apartment.

"In here!" Cory called back and she chuckled when she turned the corner and saw him in the kitchen area, grabbing them mugs and the coffee pot.

Lea rolled her eyes and took a step towards him, placing her hand on his back. "You don't know how to make coffee the way I like it." She teased him, sticking her tongue out playfully.

"Of course I do, Lea." He scoffed. "I've known you for almost three years."

"Right," she said, taken slightly aback before blushing lightly. Of course, he knew everything about her. She shook it off, stepping away from him and heading towards her bedroom. "I'm just going to change, okay?" She told him and saw him nod before stepping into her room, leaving the door slightly ajar.

Cory fiddled around with the coffee maker as he waited for Lea to emerge. Of course he hadn't had anything to drink, but she had. He would rather be on Lea patrol duty than have to stare at an alcoholic drink all night. She was an adorable drunk, but thankfully she didn't have _that _much to drink otherwise he'd probably be carrying her out of there - and that definitely wouldn't help the current rumours circling about the two of them. He sighed heavily, trying to take his mind off it before heading over to Lea's bedroom door to ask her if she wanted anything to eat with the coffee. That was definitely a mistake though because as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, he peeked through the door and caught her reflection in the mirror on the opposite side of the room. He gulped loudly, and his heart was beating so fast he was surprised even she couldn't hear it through the door.

He saw her just in time for her to slip out of her dress, and Cory cursed her silently for choosing _tonight _to not wear a bra. She moved around the room, seemingly oblivious to him staring at her with his mouth wide open through the tiny crack in the door. He almost moaned out at the sight of her bending over in the tiniest panties he had ever seen. When she finally found a shirt and pulled it over her head, he pulled himself together and moved away from the door and back to the kitchen silently. He pretended to make himself busy making the coffee when she came back out of the room and stood next to him in a sweatshirt and _very _short shorts peeking out from the bottom of it. She was giving him this _look_ and he had no idea why. "So... did you see something you like?"

Cory's eyes widened and he dropped the plastic coffee jug on the table as he slowly turned to her. "N-No- I mean -"

"Hm." Lea said, shrugging her shoulders slowly. "That's too bad. I was going to ask you to stay the night but if you don't want to..."

"How did you know I was there?" He asked, trying not to stutter again. He couldn't believe he got caught. They had tried keeping their relationship strictly professional, and sometimes they had crossed the line but never this far before. He was surprised she wasn't slapping him and kicking him out of the apartment. But now she was _flirting _with him. She might just be the most perfect woman on the planet.

"You moaned."

"What?" He spluttered.

"I heard you. You blatantly moaned and I heard you."

Crap. He actually moaned without knowing it. Crap, crap, _crap._ It wasn't supposed to be like this, he wasn't supposed to get sucked in by her and fall any harder than he had been for the past few months. "Sorry. I didn't mean to... invade your privacy."

"You didn't mean to," she said softly, placing her hand on his arm and smiling up at him. "How about we just... forget about the coffee, okay?" She told him, biting her lip and grabbing his hand. Without breaking eye contact, she lead him into her bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed, still holding loosely on to his hand. "Will you stay with me?"

"Yes," he blurted out, and he didn't even want to _think _about the consequences because Lea Michele just invited him to stay with her in her bed for the whole night and he wasn't about to pass that up. "I-I don't have any clothes to change into though... I can't sleep in my tux."

Lea just giggled, biting her lip and standing up from the bed in front of him again. She tugged at his tie before it loosened and she began sliding her hands down his chest, unbuttoning his shirt slowly until his chest was revealed to her. "Shoes. Off." She demanded quietly, raising her eyebrow at him and waiting for him to kick them off. Once he did, she pushed his jacket off his shoulders and let it fall to his feet.

"Lea..." He said, chuckling quietly and looking at her in disbelief. "What are you doing?"

"Shh, just go with it. I mean... you got to see me." She bit her lip, looking up into his eyes through her thick eyelashes. Her smoky, eyes and sparkly make-up was making it even harder for him to concentrate on anything else. He was hypnotised under his gaze, and he made no move to stop her as she pulled his shirt off of him, leaving him in just his wife-beater and pants. She made quick work of his belt and pants until they were on the floor too. And before he knew it she was dragging him by his tie (which she mysteriously kept on) onto the bed with her. She sighed deeply, settling between him and her pillows. "You can sleep in this." She decided for him.

Lea Michele just _undressed _him, and he was pretty sure his boxers weren't going to hide anything if she started doing anything else. "Lea, what are we doing?"

She thought about it for a moment, taking the time to turn and look up at him, placing her hand on his chest as she looked into his eyes. "Something that we should have done ages ago." She said simply, and he couldn't have agreed with her more. Maybe it was the alcohol, but he didn't seem to think so since he was feeling it too. He didn't know why all of this was surfacing _now _of all times but he wasn't complaining at all. He couldn't hide it anymore though, he couldn't hold it in and he wouldn't. He wasn't going to stand by and let this opportunity pass him before he even got the chance.

"I love you, Lea Michele." He blurted out suddenly, but he made no attempt to correct what he said or try to cover it up.

"I know." She whispered brokenly, not hesitating to lean up and kiss him softly on the lips as she could feel the tears forming in her eyes, running her hand through his hair. "You looked very handsome tonight. But I think I like you better like this." She giggled.

"Okay you want the truth? You were sexy the entire night and the dress was beautiful but I just wanted to get you out of it all night." Cory told her, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks.

"Mmm that's what I like to hear," she murmured, snuggling into his chest more and she smiled when she felt his arm wrap around her. "I know this is all... sudden. I just- I've been waiting for this for a really long time, Cory. I know we haven't really talked about it, but there's always been something there, right?" He nodded slowly, thanking God that she felt whatever the hell it was too. "Cory... you're perfect for me. Every time you look at me, every time you _touch _me, I feel something I've never felt. We're not just co-stars or siblings or even _friends_, Cory. I mean, you are my best friend... but you're so much more than that and somehow I think you know it too."

"I do know it," he nodded, a smile appearing on his face. "I do." He let out a breath before closing the gap between them again. His hand moved to caress her face as the kiss deepened and somewhere during the kiss, Lea had climbed on top of him. "But... I've been waiting for this too. And I know you know I have."

Lea bit her lip to hide one of the biggest smiles he had ever seen on her face. She let out a shaky breath. "You're it, Cory. This is it. It's you." Her eyes began welling up as she kissed him again, wrapping her arms around him and revelling in everything that was _him._

His face broke out in a smile too as he held her just as tightly as she was him. "It's you," he breathed, repeating her words. Saying them out loud was much better than saying them over and over in his head, he had decided. "I'm yours, I always have been. Through everything. You knew that too, I know you did."

"I did know. I love the way you look at me, you've always looked at me in the exact same way and I know what it means. I know that look, at least now I do. You're in love with me," she breathed, saying the words out loud to try and let them sink in. This was all too surreal, it felt like some sort of a dream.

"I am. Very much so. I always have been."

"God, Cory," she whispered, taking his face in her tiny hands and crashing her lips down on his, her tongue parting his lips instantly as she moaned, her hips grinding down on his.

Cory had imagined moments like this plenty of times in his head, but the real thing was _so_ much better. He pulled away for air, and he searched her eyes, seeing them visibly darken with lust. She totally wanted him, and it made him want her even more.

"Oh, and I love you too." She breathed suddenly before her lips were on his again and before she knew it, her oversized sweatshirt was on the floor and he was murmuring in her ear about how beautiful she was.

They didn't get a wink of sleep that night.


	20. dirty talk

**prompt:** _Cory sees the pictures of Lea on the beach and it results in a very interesting phone call._

* * *

><p>Cory thought that spending his night scrolling through his Twitter was completely ridiculous, but really, he had nothing else he could be doing. Lea had gone down the coast with some friends for a relaxing getaway and he was stuck here in his apartment with nothing but the internet to keep him occupied. Lea had even offered to take him too, but he knew if the paparazzi were to see them together things would go completely crazy.<p>

They weren't ready to go public. Not just yet.

They had been dating for the last few months, and Cory had to admit it was the best few months of his life. He had never been so happy before with anyone else and she made him feel like he could do anything. She was perfect for him. He loved her; and he knew at some point everyone was going to find out about their relationship but for now, they were just enjoying each other privately.

Speaking of his girlfriend, he hadn't really checked her Twitter in a couple of days. He always liked to scroll down her page and smile at all of her adorable tweets – even if most of them were about or to him. Sometimes he would even be brave and retweet a few of them himself, and he knew that always made the fans go crazy.

He clicked on her name under his following list and the first thing he saw when he reached her page was that she had tweeted a bunch of pictures and he knew it must have been from her holiday. He clicked on the first one, and he definitely wasn't expecting what he saw. "Jesus Christ," he breathed to himself as he saw her long expanse of legs stretching out in front of the camera and almost making him drool. He eagerly clicked on one of the other ones, almost choking at the sight of her in a bikini, her back to the camera and just… her _ass_ right there.

He wasted no time in picking up his phone from the edge of the table and dialling his girlfriend's number. She was teasing him, he knew she was and there was no way she was going to be allowed to get away with it.

"Hello?" came a cool voice from the other end of the phone, even though Lea would have known it was Cory calling.

"L-Lea…? How's your trip going?" Cory asked, pretending to be oblivious to what he just saw, and the obvious tightening of his pants.

"It's going great, Cory! It's so beautiful here, I wish you could have come," she said with a small pout, even though he wasn't able to see her. "It's sweet of you to call and ask though."

"Well… yeah, but I was just, uh, wondering… I mean, those photos, on Twitter."

He could almost _see _her smirking on the other end of the line, like she had been waiting for his phone call about them ever since she posted them. "Did you see something you like…?" She asked gently, her voice low. "I did take and post them for you, you know… I mean, if you couldn't be here to see my new bikini in person then I thought I should take some pictures for you."

"O-Oh…" He stuttered, his hand immediately moving to the front of his jeans. "God, Lea, can you please just come home?" He asked desperately, his hand slowly moving to unbutton his jeans.

"You know I'll be home tomorrow, Cor…" She whispered. "What are you thinking about…?"

"You," he groaned in response almost immediately. "God, you're just so… _sexy_, Lea. You're going to kill me." He let out a shaky breath as he began stroking himself lightly. It never took much for Lea to be able to work him up, and a combination of those pictures and her cool voice made it almost impossible for him to keep himself under control.

"Maybe I can help you with that then?" She asked lowly. "Maybe you should explain to me what you're thinking about in detail…" She smirked.

"Your legs," he blurted out.

"What about my legs…?"

"Your legs… wrapped around me."

She smirked again. "That's better. What else?"

"Just your _body_," he moaned quietly. "I miss your body so much, Lea. I just want to feel it against mine." He wrapped his fingers gently around his shaft as he spoke. "_God,_ it's been too long, Lea, I just want to…"

"Want to what?" She asked gently with a smile. "Say it."

"God, I just want to fuck you." He groaned out. "Everywhere. On the bed, against the wall, in the shower, on your piano." He chuckled a little at the last one, feeling his hand tighten.

"Oh, you want to _fuck me_?" She whispered, still smirking because she knew whenever she cursed it made Cory go absolutely crazy. "Well, I want you to fuck me too… Hard, Cory. As hard as you can." She breathed into the phone, and hearing him moan on the other end indicated that he was close to being finished, and she knew just how to end it. "Do you know how wet I am for you right now?" That was also the truth. "I'm just _so_ wet, and I want you so badly… I really do want to come home."

"You should stay for the weekend," he gasped out, feeling his stomach muscles tighten as his hand did and he knew he was as close as he could be to the edge.

"I will," she purred. "And you can show me _all _the things you want to do to me."

"What about you?" He breathed. "What do you want?"

"I just want you, Cory. I just want you inside me, filling me up." She bit her lip, closing her eyes and moaning quietly at the thought.

"Th-That can be arranged," he breathed out, and as his thumb brushed over his tip one last time, he came without a warning, and Lea smirked as he cried out on the other end of the phone.

"So," she said in the same cool, low voice once he had come down from his high and his breathing had returned to normal. "I'll swing by your apartment with my things tomorrow night." She said casually, like nothing had just happened before. "I have to go now though. I love you, Cory."

"God, I love you too, Lea." He breathed, smiling at the thought of his girlfriend finally coming home… and the things she wanted to do to him.


	21. breaking in the goods

**prompt:** Cory_ and Lea check out Lea's new house._

* * *

><p>"I'll just be right outside!" The real estate agent told them and he immediately pulled out his Blackberry and began checking his emails while leaning against his car.<p>

Lea kind of hoped the man would come inside with them, because the smirk on her boyfriend's face _did not_ look good at all. She had agreed to give him the grand tour of her brand new house – well, it wasn't _hers_ just yet but she was ninety-five percent sure that this is what she wanted. She other five percent lay with Cory, because she didn't think she'd be able to buy a house that her boyfriend wouldn't want to come over to. Plus, there was always the possibility that she would want him to move in one day… but that was still a long way down the track, right?

Still, the smirk on his face was not a good sign and Lea knew exactly what it meant. "Cory, stop it." She told him as soon as they walked into the house. He knew exactly what he was thinking and there was no way it was going to happen.

"Where's the bedroom?" He asked automatically, and Lea rolled her eyes before turning around to him.

"_Cory_!" She scolded, smacking him on the chest at his question. "I will _show_ you the bedroom; just take a look around the rest of the house first? Please?" She asked him, a small pout forming on her face that she knew he wouldn't be able to resist.

"Fine, okay, let's go."

After that he was genuinely interested in the house, and he even began pointing out hazards that could be a danger to her and Lea couldn't help but smile and bite her lip at how adorable he was being.

"Cory, I'm a grown woman. Trust me, I can look after myself."

"That's not what I hear," Cory said, his smirk returning. "You're the one that calls me at 10 o' clock at night asking for cuddles."

Lea bit her lip again. "That's because I miss you and we can't really cuddle at work unless we're on camera being Finn and Rachel." She pouted again, taking a couple of steps towards him and wrapping her arms around his waist, forgetting completely that they were supposed to be looking at the house.

"Well I'll come over here for cuddles whenever you want." Cory winked.

"Good," Lea replied softly, looking up into the eyes of her boyfriend for a moment before wrapping one arm around him and continuing to lead him through the house. Once they reached the spacious kitchen area, Lea leaned her head against Cory's arm. "This is one of my favourite rooms. I can't wait to cook for you," she giggled, looking up at her boyfriend.

Cory let out a low whistle of approval. "No, _I_ can't wait to cook for _you_ in this kitchen." He chuckled and gave Lea a wink.

They continued to walk through the house, taking time at every room and Cory seemed to appreciate it as much as she did. Lea thought this was definitely the house for her. "And in here…" Lea said quietly, leading him to one of the rooms further back in the house. "Is one of the two bedrooms." She bit her lip. She had always wanted a spare/guest bedroom because she always had friends over and they always needed to sleep on the couch because there was nowhere else in her apartment. "They're both lovely, so I'm not quite sure which one I want to be my bedroom, just yet." She laughed a little, looking up at Cory and wondering what he was thinking. Normally most people chose the bigger bedroom, but one had a beautiful balcony that Lea just adored.

An idea formed in his head, and Lea could see a small glimmer in his eyes. "Well… we can always… test it out?" He asked with a small smirk, turning and wrapping his arms around her waist, trapping her against his body. He leaned down, brushing his lips against hers. "You'll never know until you try each one out." He breathed huskily, punctuating the last few words with a kiss.

"C-Cory, we can't. This house isn't even mine yet, it wouldn't be right to even _think_ about –" But Cory wasn't listening, and as soon as it sounded like she was about to go on one of her famous rants, he stopped her by pressing his lips roughly to hers.

She melted right there the spot, and she was automatically like putty in his arms. His hands gripped the back of her shirt tightly and before Lea knew it she was up against the wall of the spare bedroom, her head tilted back against the cool surface as she moaned out his name. "Cory, we _can't._" She tried to tell him. "The real estate agent is right outside and if he was to move to the side of the house he would be able to see onto the balcony and straight through the window," she hissed at him, but her words were drowned out with her own moans. "I-We can't get caught!"

"We won't. Promise." He whispered huskily again, his lips moving to her neck and Lea had already given in and was already tugging at his shirt. Lea was just glad that all the other windows were closed and the blinds were down because she never could control how loud she was with Cory. "But we're going to have to be really quick, so…" He pulled back, smirking, and quickly dropped his pants and boxer briefs. "Shirts on, babe."

He was a little disappointed that they weren't going to get to the touching each other part like they usually did – but hell, the adrenaline rush was more than worth it.

Lea quickly pulled her jeans down and Cory dragged her panties down quickly after. He thanked God she was tiny as he lifted her up by her thighs, pinning her against the wall, and entering her almost immediately. He pressed his body as close to hers as he could, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, tugging at his hair as she let out cries and moans of pleasure. Nobody could ever compare to him when it came to sex. No one. He was just so… _skilful._ His thrusts angled at just the right spot that made Lea whine and she always knew just how to grind her hips to make him come harder than he ever had in his life.

She was close and he knew it. He needed to make this rough, fast and dirty – and the way Lea's moans were building, Cory knew she was reaching her climax, and he wasn't about to let go before she did. As soon as she began letting out her final cries – which were _loud_ to say the least – Cory had to cover her mouth with his to stop the man outside from hearing and coming inside. She let out one last muffled scream into his mouth before leaning her head against his shoulder as he came too with a loud groan.

After a few more lazy kisses, Cory put her back down on the ground and they helped each other back into their underwear and jeans. He still had her pinned against the wall though, and Lea was still completely out of breath.

"Th-That was so _wrong_, I haven't even paid a-a final deposit on the house yet and we're already having sex up against the wall! I mean, it was good we didn't use the bed because Cory this is still someone else's house! Cory, we just had sex in someone else's house!" She gasped, covering her mouth in shock before punching him lightly a few times in the stomach. "You're disgraceful, Cory Monteith!"

He was still only smirking at her. "You loved it, didn't you?"

"I really did," she giggled, her face breaking out into a smile. "We're so naughty, if only we had more time I'm sure we could've tried out the next bedroom like you said."

"I like this one. We've already made some memories." He winked, nudging her. "Whenever you can't sleep you can just call me up. Though, for an amazing singer such as yourself, you'd think you'd have a better lung capacity." Cory teased and Lea could only roll her eyes.

"Maybe I don't want to call you up." Lea said suddenly and Cory looked bewildered. This didn't sound good to him at all. "Maybe you should just move in." She shrugged like it wasn't a big deal, looking back up at him.

"Wh-What?" He asked, taken aback at the sudden offer.

"Just… look how serious things have gotten between us in the past few months. And we've already known each other for years… moving in would just be the next step, right? It would be a lot of fun, I promise." She winked a bright smile on her face. "And I love you."

"I love you too, and _of course_ I'll move in with you." He told her as Lea bit her lip, trying to hold in her excitement until he finished speaking. "It's just… things are pretty serious, aren't they?" He asked, but his expression told Lea that he didn't mean it in a bad way. "I mean, we love each other and everything's just perfect for us." He said with a smile, taking her hands and looking down at them. "But yeah, I'll move in with you. Once you get everything sorted, of course." He said gently, smiling as a huge grin came across her face before she jumped into his arms.

"Thank you, Cory! I love you so much," she whispered, holding on to him tightly as he lifted her off the ground and spun her around slowly. "But wait," she pouted, waiting until he put her back on the ground to speak again. "It'll be a while before these people move out and then I have to move everything in and then you have to move everything in." She frowned. "We'll be so busy all the time."

"But we'll have the bedroom with the balcony, right?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her, which earned him another playful slap from Lea. She took his hand, swinging it back and forth slightly as they walked out of the house, outside towards the man. Just the thought of waking up next to her beautiful boyfriend every morning, brought her to hook her free arm around his and pull him closer.

"I'll take it." Lea said with a firm nod.

"Excellent!" exclaimed the real estate agent, going to his car to get out the paperwork he would need to give Lea.

"I would've felt too dirty giving this house to someone else after what we did in there." Lea whispered to him and Cory only grinned.


End file.
